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Two Guys and a House

Within moments of taking possession of their home, furniture designers Arthur Johnson and Scott Hill began stripping away its telltale 1970s origins.
By D Magazine |

 

two guys and a house
Furniture designers Arthur Johnson and Scott Hill’s update of a 1970s home in Preston Creek North Estates

North Dallas ’70s house. Quick. What comes to mind? 

If you’re like most people, you picture a derivative California-style house, with Formica surfaces, decorative metal-grid dividers, look-at-me beams and, of course, large globe light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. Even, perhaps, a teardown.

Fortunately, Arthur Johnson and Scott Hill, co-principals of Johnson+Hill Square One, are not like most people. Their new furniture line has turned heads on both coasts and makes its formal debut at the Walter Lee Culp and Associates showroom this spring. Their work is classic but clean. Very new millennium.
 

Beyond the wall of windows is a very private yard filled with oak trees. Richard Kuska and his wife commissioned the house in 1973. It was designed by Richard Flatt, who studied under the esteemed architect O’Neil Ford. The house was built by Ernest Kennedy, a Dallas builder, and is perfectly situated on the property to take advantage of the views.

When Arthur and Scott bought the house, the fireplace was a mere opening in a brick wall, typical of the ’70s no-mantle look. They created a mantle, stuccoed it, and framed it in stained oak to match the floors. They also installed a limestone surround for texture. The wall color is a custom blend of Sherwin-Williams paint that Scott and Arthur call “honey.”

So it was a bit of a surprise when this chic design team first toyed with the idea of looking north of LBJ Freeway and were captivated by the circa 1973 commission that would eventually become their home.

Lest you get the wrong idea: this was not some Levittown ranch on a treeless lot, but a home that was designed and built by an associate of the architect O’Neil Ford and situated on a plum piece of creek property. But it was also a very different kind of home from what they set out to find on their endless Sunday searches.

“After selling a house we remodeled in Greenway Parks, we were looking for adequate square footage and something simple in design that didn’t require a long-term overhaul. We were open-minded, but we weren’t necessarily looking for a ’70s house,” Arthur says. “Structurally, though, it was just what we needed. The exterior was unassuming and blended with the landscape, and the interior architecture was well-proportioned.” Before they could talk themselves out of it, Arthur and Scott went to contract.

When you’re working with a period piece and the period is the 1970s, the architecture and design might be workable but the detail and coloration must go. Within moments of taking possession of their home, Arthur and Scott began stripping away its ’70s origins.

The ceiling beams were of the highest quality but very dark and a bit in-your-face. The design team preserved them, but they also lightened them. Wood floors got the same treatment. The home was built before the days of lighting design, so Arthur and Scott invested a good portion of their budget in lighting installations. The large (and numerous),  ceramic-globe ceiling fixtures were replaced with (fewer) more translucent, frosted-glass fixtures. And dated white Formica countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms were replaced with Texas topaz limestone. In addition, the flat-faced brick fireplaces with the very 1970s, no-mantel look were resurfaced, mantels were added, and limestone surrounds installed.

The master bedroom was all about their own design (exception: the Armin Hoffman print). The Salon end tables, Maximin bed, Siena ottomans, and large painted screen with fabric squares are all Johnson + Hill Square One.
Scott and Arthur created a small breakfast area by a large window in the living room to enjoy the spectacular view over a cup of coffee in the mornings.

Arthur and Scott felt that the park-like nature of the property, which is located on an acre of the old Collins homestead, should play a large role in the interior quality of the house. They replaced solid wood doors with glass panel doors to capture natural light and open up views of the property. And they kept the paint colors warm and light and the materials natural, creating the perfect stage for their furniture line and a minimalist foil to the trees outside. (NB: The home was originally built for Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kuska. Kuska was the advertising executive famous for his campaign “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”)

While the design team was intent on maintaining the architectural integrity of the house, some details did provoke debate. “We discussed those Saultillo tiles in the entry for weeks, but, in the end, we decided to preserve them. And we’re glad. Once we lightened up the gallery with a new, white palate for the walls and full-length doors and windows, they looked great,” Arthur says. And while they pruned the trees on their property heavily and added landscape lighting to their spacious lot, they left the landscape in an essentially natural state.

“We thought it was important ‘not to fool Mother Nature’ and simply opened up the existing house, rather than creating something new for the property,” Arthur says. “Newer and bigger is not always better.”

Scott Hill and Arthur Johnson in their Johnson + Hill Square One studio on McKinney Avenue. Their new line is available at Walter Lee Culp and Associates, open to the trade only.

how they did it
Though Arthur Johnson and Scott Hill’s 1970s home had strong architectural bones, the details and coloration had to be replaced from top to bottom.

LIGHTING


The original handmade ceramic lamps installed by the previous owners were wonderful but a bit too imposing for the redesign. Instead, frosted-glass pendant lighting from Ikea was installed.

 WOOD BEAMS


Most ’70s houses in Dallas have dark beams in the main room. The homeowners finished the beams in a lighter stain so they would recede into the ceiling rather than dominate the room. 
 

COUNTERTOPS


Formica—everywhere—was a ’70s trademark. Arthur
and Scott replaced the Formica in the kitchen and baths with Texas
topaz limestone.

 
 

 

Credits

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