A Maximalist Dream Home on Pinehurst’s Dogwood Course

Avid lovers of color, the homeowners took a maximalist approach, expressing their passion for drama and pattern through collectibles and bold furnishing. The back porch continues the lively palette with eyecatching stripes and colorful furnishings.

“Our styles lined up perfectly, which rarely happens to this extent,” says Aston Moody, founder and principal of Aston Moody Interiors, who spearheaded the interior design for this ambitious 6,500-square-foot new build. “They were my dream clients because we all described our styles as colorful, classic, and maximalist—bold, rich patterns layered with antiques, modern art, and the juxtaposition of Southern traditional with a surprise of fun, unexpected irreverence. They were game for color and even suggested going bolder in moments when I wasn’t sure whether they would go for it at all!”

A fun, social couple with two active teenagers, the homeowners enjoy hosting distant family members for weeks at a time. So, one of their primary requirements was to devise a floor plan that could entertain guests with effortless Southern hospitality. They focused on various sleeping accommodations as well as living and entertaining spaces, including a guest suite, a kids’ den, a formal living room with accordion glass doors that open onto a huge back porch, and a main den with a golf simulator, a large bar, and a Champagne vending machine to boot. The design team meticulously strategized the layout of each gathering space, the furniture pieces—including multiple ottomans and beverage stands—and performance fabrics to best suit their lifestyle, their family members, and two German shepherds.

“The husband recently retired from the military and was looking forward to being in his home long-term with family after years of service abroad and often being apart from loved ones,” Moody notes. “It was essential for the entire family to have a comfortable space to build memories, relax, and have fun. The golf course and in-home simulator are enjoyed by the homeowner, and since moving in, his wife and son have taken up golfing, so they can enjoy more time together in what they describe as paradise.”

The home’s traditional spaces, including the foyer, kitchen, living room, hallway, and guest room, feature warm white painted walls with a modern high-gloss black trim, creating a classic look throughout the open-concept plan. But woven throughout, you will find surprising pops of colorful yet classic wallpapers in the pantry, powder baths, den, and primary bedroom, trimmed in bold contrast paint colors such as fuchsia, chartreuse, and grasshopper green. “We chose all the wallpaper first,” says Moody, “which helped give me a feel for the owners’ style and how far they were willing to go in terms of color and design decisions. We wallpapered nine rooms, and in a tenth room, we deemed the golf den, Kristen Groner, an incredibly talented artist who is also a neighbor and dear friend of the homeowners, hand-painted a beautiful black abstract stripe mural paying homage to the wife’s career in spinal medicine.”

A classic, Southern aesthetic flows throughout the home in such details as a cast-stone mantel, wire-brushed herringbone hardwoods, and traditional, thick wainscoting lining the halls and stairways. “These design elements, along with the homeowners’ antiques and new but made-to-look-old pieces—thick, gold, antique-looking art frames; big traditional gold mirrors in the living room; pleated lampshades, pinch pleat curtains; chinoiserie fabrics; and bullion trims—give this brand-new house an old soul,” says the designer.

That old soul charm helps balance out more modern and considerably edgier pieces, such as David Yarrow and Slim Aarons photography, whimsical artworks from Scout Design Studio, Jonathan Adler lamps, Sputnik-style lighting fixtures, jewel-framed mirrors, a custom Ashley Longshore painting above the hearth, and a Kyle Bunting cowhide rug.

“The maximalist in me loves the contrast of pattern on pattern, floral wallpaper with geometric curtains, or animal print pillows with abstract upholstery,” adds Moody. “Where someone else might say that’s too much or that doesn’t match, we say, yes, more is more! I love the drama of the cheetah runners on the dueling staircases, the bright blues and plaids we used in the bunk room, and the Gucci wallpaper and neon sign in the kids’ den. There are far too many fun moments for me to count—all because these homeowners trusted my vision and let me imagine at my best.”