Text: Margaret Zainey Roux
Photos: Jean Allsopp
“I knew exactly where we’d place our Christmas tree even before we moved in,” says Carlin Everts, of the expansive bay window in the great room of her family’s Mountain Brook home.
The street-facing window, which measures 16 feet wide and 12 feet tall, was one of the few features that Carlin and husband Josh retained when they embarked on a major renovation that would transition the 7,800-square-foot house into their forever home. Built in 1980 as custom construction, the existing structure was sound, but it was frozen in time aesthetically, so the couple tasked architect Chris Reebals of Christopher Architecture & Interiors and interior designer Joanna Goodman to tailor it to the style and lifestyle of their modern family of five.
Today, white oak floors, sleek white marble, and crisp white walls take the place of dingy parquet floors, dated pastel-painted walls and wallcoverings, and other accoutrements whose heyday had come and gone. To keep the proverbial “clean slate” from feeling flat and sterile, custom paneling, molding, and trim were applied to the walls, ceilings, and casements to impart character and depth. To add visual weight, white wood-clad windows were painted black or swapped out for steel, and the traditional white wood stair rail was replaced by a more transitional design forged from wrought iron. These bespoke features and others—like the wide limestone mantel and deep hearth in the great room and rough-hewn beams in the breakfast room—anchor lofty, light-filled rooms with soaring ceilings while staying within the parameters of neutrality.
“We were all about the mix, so we started with a black-and-white base that reads both classic and contemporary,” says Goodman, who completed the project while lead designer at Christopher Architecture & Interiors but has since established her own eponymous firm. “By restricting the use of color, we could highlight the architecture and create a sense of continuity that pleases the eye and offers a calming backdrop to pile on more colorful accent layers.”
Rich blues in a spectrum of hues ranging from navy to sapphire to slate make their mark in the dining room’s grasscloth wallcovering, the kitchen and laundry room’s custom cabinetry, and the bedrooms’ bold wallcoverings, upholstery, and bedding. Hints of blush and sand warm up the otherwise cool palette along with a slew of gold leaf and brass accents in the lighting, hardware, and accessories.
During the holidays, Everts strives to make the house look extra festive while still maintaining a steady flow. To do this, she draws from her everyday décor and sticks with neutrals and metallics like gold, silver, pewter, and champagne that complement her interiors rather than competing with them.
“I’m a ‘less is more’ holiday decorator, so staying in the neutral zone lets me have fun and experiment with new looks without reinventing my decorations every year,” she says. “I enjoy foraging fresh greens from our property and mixing them with seasonal favorites from our local nursery. Eucalyptus and noble fir are my holiday go-tos for their blue-green color and soft texture and form. I find so much beauty in the simplicity.”
Hi, have enjoyed the Southern Home magazine now for the last few years. I find it to have a more interesting layout and the values are outstanding!! So many times I find something I would like to have in my own home! (To my husband’s dismay)