Text: Jeanne de Lathouder
Photos: John O’Hagan
Styling: Sidney Bragiel
The classic Southern grandeur of this Mobile, Alabama, property, along with its revered listing on the National Register of Historic Places, led the charge for a series of carefully crafted renovations that have taken place over time. Built in 1913 in the city’s historic residential neighborhood known as Ashland Place, this magnificent home’s architectural allure is perhaps one of its greatest assets and the lifeline to its richly storied past. When the current homeowners bought the house in 2008, they doubled the size, enhancing its majestic demeanor.
In 2018, they embarked on another ambitious project involving numerous updates and innovative additions.
“After residing there for 10 years, the homeowners knew how they wanted to live,” says designer Lisa Flake of Caldwell Flake Interiors in Birmingham, who, along with her mom, Mary Ruth Caldwell, gleefully took on the task. “We just needed to make their living spaces perfect for them.”
The new project involved glassing in the porch, connecting to the carriage house, and gutting the kitchen to open it up to the dining room. New additions included an outdoor living area, a pool with fresh landscaping, a closet in the primary suite, updated cabinets in the bath, and a laundry room. The designers collaborated with architect Lea Verneuille of Walcott Adams Verneuille Architecture | Interiors and landscape architect Paul Fontenot of Garden Design Solutions, Inc., in Fairhope. Today, the property encompasses 7,812 square feet under roof and 3,000 square feet of outdoor living space.
“We call this home edgy-classic,” says Flake. “We wanted to keep the classic feel and add some surprises. The homeowners are truly dream clients—the wife and I were sorority sisters at The University of Alabama, and this was the first time we had worked together. My mother also collaborated closely with us throughout the project, and the four of us became so close that we have since worked on two more projects together.”
When the renovation plans began, the four would meet monthly in Birmingham, Atlanta, or Mobile. Flake and Caldwell’s tastes and thoughts about the decor were incredibly compatible with the homeowners. Their primary goal during the design process was to create an inviting, comfortable home for the owners and their children. With this inspiration in mind, they decided on a calming palette of white walls accented with vibrant pops of color throughout their house. “Black was our pop of color in the sunroom,” Flake says with a laugh.
For the entrance hall, they paired the owners’ antique chest with a modern chandelier, two stunning paintings by David Kroll, and a custom cowhide geometric rug from Moattar in Atlanta. “The clients have a passion for collecting art and have a close friend who owns Hidell Brooks Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina,” notes Flake. “David Kroll is one of their favorite artists.”
In the dining room, a custom-color Gracie wallcovering adorns the ceiling and walls. When Conner Wallcovering did the installation, they recommended removing all the previous lighting except the chandelier to create a beautifully seamless result. “This made the room,” says Flake. “We are now considering doing the primary bedroom walls, too—we are obsessed!”
The kitchen’s remarkable overhaul is perhaps one of the most dynamic transformations that unfolded during the renovation. After enlisting the expertise of David Cook, a designer with Matthew Quinn’s esteemed Atlanta firm, Design Galleria, the space took on
a sleek, modern aesthetic yet gracefully counterbalanced the home’s classic elements. “David was so enjoyable to work with,” says Flake.
“He had the idea of adding the beautiful glass cabinets between the kitchen and dining room, the cool all-marble sink in the island, and that fabulous range hood. We wrapped the kitchen walls in an amazing marble for drama. We love to have a wow in each room.”
Throughout the house, the design team implemented Triton Stone marble and tile, which was precision-fabricated by Alabama Stone Works in Birmingham. The kitchen incorporates gorgeous Statuario Altissimo honed Italian marble, and the bar is clad in glamorous Verde Indian marble, all creating a refined elegance that complements the home’s stately architectural style and overall aesthetic.
“We love the flow and inviting feel of the house for entertaining,” says the homeowner. “When I entertain, I light a fire in the fireplace in the living room, put the food out in the dining area, drinks in the bar, and desserts on the round table in the sunroom so every room is used.”
“Personally, I would say mom and I love the sunroom porch the most,” says Flake. “The all-white palette with dramatic black accents is so inviting—the homeowners end up here every night. But our absolute favorite part is the lifelong relationship that formed between us and the owners during this project—there were so many laughs along the way.”
