Modern but with warmth
Architect, builder, interior designer and landscape architect join forces to soften and naturalize look
The flat roofline, linear design and elevated windows of Kenny Marks’ Southampton home are all hallmarks of the modern architecture that he loves.
But Marks and his wife didn’t want the cold and empty feel that often comes with it, tasking their new-home team — their architect, builder, interior designer and landscape architect — with finding ways to add the kind of warmth you’d find in a more traditional home.
Marks, 62, and his wife were downsizing their lives — if not their actual house — to have less work indoors and outdoors and to be closer to things they enjoyed. Their sons are grown now — 25 to 32 years old — and Marks is retired from his job as an attorney.
Their prior house in Southside Place was about 5,000 square feet but was on a much larger lot with elaborate landscaping. It had lots of discrete rooms with walls separating everything. And it always felt suburban, even though it’s inside the Loop and not that far from the new 5,400square-foot home they moved into just a few months ago.
“This has a little more of an urban feel — the houses are closer together,” Marks said. “We picked here because we wanted to be able to walk to Rice Village. I can walk to dinner in a minute and a half. Some days I never get in the car.”
Every part of the team turned to natural materials, brick, wood siding, Texas limestone and mature plants outdoors to natural fibers, soft wood tones and muted colors indoors.
Architect Dillon Kyle made the most of every inch of their 8,400square-foot lot, and landscape architect Mark McKinnon filled the outdoor space with trees and plants that didn’t need too much room to roam but would instantly look mature. Interior designer Ann Wolf brought in soft textures and natural elements to warm every room.
Instead of concrete or tile floors like many modern homes would have, Kyle turned to white oak, mixing rift-cut and quartersawn styles for a slightly more rustic feel on the floor and ceiling in most of the downstairs. Owners of modern homes would likely choose the rift cut if they’re installing wood floors because the grain of the wood is narrower and more linear.
The home’s brick — a longform Italian brick used on the exterior and some inside walls — is unusual, too.
“To me, it’s the star of the show. I love this brick,” Kyle said of the brick that has a hand-made quality and Old World feel.
Leuter’s Texas limestone adds regional authenticity on the front porch and around the pool in the backyard. And slices of it cap window ledges and a short fence out front.
Steel beams that run exposed through the home continue outside and help define areas — the foyer, living and dining spaces in the wide-open main floor.
The home was designed in the shape of a long “C,” creating a center courtyard that has a patio area, summer kitchen and a pool. Walls of glass on all three sides of that courtyard look out into the natural beauty created by McKinnon of McKinnon Associates.
“The landscaping, the plant materials are a backdrop for the house and not decoration, or accessories or to complement the house,” McKinnon said. “It really is a backdrop.”
A row of American holly trees lines a fence, pruned into almost hedgelike fashion. You’ll also find tall, thin sweetgum and a variety of magnolia tree that’s narrower than the variety you see sprawling in parks.
At the front of the home is an office where Marks spends time every day, in part because he has work to do for two nonprofits on whose boards he serves and in part because he loves the room and its view. A dramatic chandelier with dangling glass balls hangs from the 14-foot ceiling, and a comfortable blue velvet chair is an easy spot to read one of the many books lining the shelves of the tall walls.
In the main part of the home, Wolf of Ann Wolf Interior Decoration used a variety of textures, muted colors and natural fibers — ramie window shades, velvet upholstery and linen draperies — to add warmth.
“We put textured wallpaper in the mudroom, some on the backs of (living room) bookcases, grasscloth in the powder room and silk in the master bedroom,” Wolf said. “I would venture to say that a lot of contemporary houses don’t have any wallpaper. There’s an organic quality to this home because there’s a lot of millwork, too. That softens the hard edges.”
In the living room, tucked into a corner off of the foyer, a sectional sofa rests against two tall walls of books and objets d’art. It’s a cozy space that’s far less formal than most living rooms would be. Colors drawn from nature — deep purple, soft gold and mossy green — accent the otherwise neutral furnishings.
In the center of the room, a small curvy sofa with a chair and artful coffee table — a Skye table that designer Chris Lehrecke created for his Ralph Pucci collection — flirt with the dining area in the middle of the house, where large-format art adds drama.
In the back are the kitchen and family room, perhaps the mostused part of the house.
“This is where we live,” Marks said of the comfortable living room decked in plum tones with gray and tan. The room has small bar areas, a fireplace and a TV. One of the few pieces the Markses brought from their old house — a wooden hand chair by Mexican artist Pedro Freideberg — adds whimsy.
The very modern kitchen has dark gray Poggenpohl cabinets and sleek, quartzite-topped island and counters, but it’s the charming Ann Sacks subway tile that gets attention from guests.
“These get more positive comments than almost anything else,” Marks said as he turned the corner to his walk-through pantry and wine room.
The kitchen’s porcelain tile floor — rather than stain-prone marble — was a move toward a low-maintenance lifestyle. “We wanted it to look as close as possible to natural stone but didn’t want to stress out about what happens if someone spills spaghetti sauce,” he said.
Though the couple have always entertained, parties in the new house have a completely different feel, with guests moving freely from space to space, indoors and out.
“One evening we had 35 people for a party, and we did not have to move any furniture out to create space, nor did we bring in any additional seating. We sat 35 people — granted, it was a smallplate affair — with no problem, and it flowed. It felt great,” Marks said.
“In our old house, for things like Thanksgiving, we had to bring in a card table. We sat people in the dining and breakfast rooms, separated by several walls and the length of the house. Once people sat down for dinner, you didn’t see half of the group. Here, everyone can see everyone,” he continued.
Bedrooms are upstairs, and the master suite has a serene feel, with silk-covered walls, embroidered draperies and an upholstered linen headboard. A small sofa in the room was created to accommodate three people — that’s how much clout the couple’s dog, Jilly, a wire-haired Fox terrier, claims.
Her daytime napping spot is next to the front door, where she likes to look out a window, and the big sliding doors allow her easy access to the pool for her three-times-a-day swims. So in the bedroom, the sofa can’t just be for Marks and his wife; Jilly gets her spot, too, so everyone is comfortable.
Finally, the solar panels are an effort at energy efficiency. More than 50 panels sit on the back roof, collecting energy they use all day.
Marks pulls out his phone to check on their status on one sunny day.
“I can see how much power they generate and how much we take from the grid,” he said, scrolling through his e-information. “Today we have generated 70 kilowatts and used 53.”