Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
When interior designer Laura Lee and husband John Lee decided to purchase a home on Crestwood Drive in Clayton in 2008, they were drawn to its 1920s architecture and to the natural light, which defies the home’s Tudor roots.
Despite the great bones and the abundance of light, though, there was plenty that required Lee’s attention, most notably the kitchen and bathrooms, the wood floors, the awkward lighting scheme, and an addition from the 1980s whose structure was beginning to decay.
“Any time you remodel and you open up walls, you’re never 100 percent sure what you’re going to find,” she says.
But after a renovation and redesign that spanned two phases—one that began when the couple moved in eight years ago and another that broke ground last spring—the house is finally complete. Lee says she altered every surface, using an approach aimed at staying true both to the home’s original architecture and to modern needs and lifestyles.
1 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
2 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
3 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
4 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
5 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
6 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
7 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
8 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
9 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
10 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
11 of 11
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
Beginning in the kitchen, Lee unified the ceiling heights and reworked the layout. By removing a wall and an exterior staircase, she was able to extend the island and bump out the kitchen footprint. The cherry Wood-Mode cabinetry stayed, but Lee had it painted a crisp white to freshen the look. The dated countertops would need to go, replaced with polished Calacatta Oro marble, and a mix of metal finishes—brass pendants combined with chrome-and-Lucite cabinet pulls—added interest to the room. “I live in my kitchen, like most people who have three children do,” says Lee. “It’s my favorite vantage point, and I feel connected to everything in the home when I’m in there.”Several casual rooms round out the first floor. In the dining room, elegance erases any expectation of stuffiness. “We traded out a traditional Oriental rug for an octagonal sisal rug to mix up the shapes and to temper how formal it might look,” says Lee. She also opted for a cheery yellow wall covering framed by classic white molding and a vintage crystal-and-brass chandelier to hang above her prized 1850s mahogany dining table. Custom striped drapery provides a graphic contrast to the floral wallpaper print.
More soft color—in bursts of blue throughout the living room—prevails: in a vintage Murano glass lamp, in a family favorite leather armchair, and in painted trim around a bar. “I use blue a lot because it’s easy to work with and comes in a million shades,” says the designer. “From navy to turquoise, they all have their place.”
1 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
2 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
3 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
4 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
5 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
6 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
7 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
8 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
9 of 9
Photo by Emily Minton Redfield
There’s plenty to love throughout the house, but Lee says her favorite room is the sunroom, a tiny nook with 10-foot ceilings and large arched windows. “It’s just so cozy in there with the white-painted brick,” she says. “I love that texture and old, charming feel.”
But how to fix that oddly configured addition? A powder room and the laundry room were moved and a hallway redirected to yield enough space for a family room and bedroom.
Lee encourages anyone contemplating a remodel to invest in timeless pieces and experiment with trend and color in areas that are less expensive. For example, splurge on marble in a neutral color, she says, but play with pops of color in items that are easily replaced, such as paint or fabric.
And she advises those who live in older homes not to be afraid to reimagine spaces for modern living. “Repurpose a nook into a casual dining space,” she says. “Or your formal dining room can be a TV room or a homework room. Your home should serve your family in the way you live today.”
Judging by the comfort and beauty of her new old home, Lee has provided a perfect example of that kind of reimagining—while leaving architectural history intact.
