AZURE CURRENT

DALLAS, TEXAS

My first project after leaving Wilson Associates was a home for someone who had followed my work from the beginning—my Uncle John.

He purchased two apartments at the Azure with the idea of combining them into one home with sweeping views of Dallas. Behind the finished interiors was a puzzle: we reused the cabinetry and appliances from both kitchens, finding a place for the pieces within a new plan. A particularly observant visitor might notice a couple of wood panels that had faded differently in their original locations. I like that small trace of how the home came together.

John was a bachelor at the time, with a definite preference for chrome and sleek, polished finishes. Bronze was out of the question, but I found room for warm wood to balance the shine. Football and basketball were part of everyday life, so we planned the televisions to keep a game in view as he moved through the home.

Some of my favorite details came from collaborating with local artist Hobbes Vincent. We worked together on “The Bull” for the entry and a custom chandelier made from John’s books, including titles that had influenced his life. Its light shone down onto the first book he read as a child that left a lasting impression. Original Audubon prints from his collection—works he had sold earlier in his life—were framed and given a place in the home.

This project brought together so much of what I still love about residential design: solving the practical puzzle, making things with artists, and discovering how someone’s history can become part of the rooms they live in.