Modern art punctuates the looks throughout, and it was Crooks who curated and assembled the pieces to give them a collected-over-time effect. Says James, “Now Wes and Leigh-An can add to it and keep the collection going.”
In the living room, a custom ceiling designed by Kelsey Rowe was fashioned from pecky cypress wood salvaged from the bottom of a Louisiana riverbed. The overall impression is one of subtle grandeur, set off by a vintage Murano glass chandelier from Jean-Marc Fray in Austin.
Restrained use of gilded and noir accents adds to the sophistication factor in this space, while Benjamin Moore’s Gardenia from the Affinity palette brightens the walls.
Other improvements included a new light-and-airy gourmet kitchen that opens to an adjacent keeping room. In the guest bedroom, closets were combined and walls changed to create a larger bathroom and to provide a multipurpose room where Leigh-An could work, craft, wrap gifts, and more.
“Kelsey drew up custom built-ins for that room, and we painted it a beautiful color from Benjamin Moore called Boudoir,” explains James. “I’ll never forget watching as Leigh-An walked into the living room for the first time and stood there for a while. Wes wrapped his arms around her and said, ‘What are you thinking?’ She was crying and said, ‘My house is so beautiful. I just can’t believe how beautiful it is!’ And that makes it all worth it.”
