Designers At Home

UPTOWN BOY: Though his square footage doubled, David bought only three new pieces for the loft, one of which is the couch in the upstairs sitting room. But he says the furniture plan is still not finished: “I’m certainly not a minimalist-I’m not into a hard edge-but I’m already thinking of how I can pare down. Maybe I’m a pragmatist.€VbCrLf

Room for Change
When he needed a new challenge, Dallas designer David Cadwallader left his Kessler Park cottage to create a serene Uptown loft with an open floor plan and skyline views.

“I loved my house in Kessler Park,€VbCrLf David says. “But I don’t miss it. The loft affords me a different lifestyle; it’s easier, more casual. And, oddly enough, there’s more of a sense of community here than in my old neighborhood. We have get-togethers, holiday parties, all that.€VbCrLf Lukah, his 4-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, seems content with the change.

Ask David Cadwallader, ASID, why he moved from Kessler Park to Uptown, leaving his home of 18 years-which, by the way, was an AIA award-winner-and he’ll tilt his head slightly while explaining, “I’d finished it. There wasn’t anything more to play with.€VbCrLf So naturally he was intrigued by the play-potential of the Uptown mid-rise he happened upon in the very early stages of construction. “They’d poured the first floor, the roof of the parking garage, and they had drawings of the floor plan when I first saw it in early ’99,€VbCrLf he says. “I saw the loft as a blank canvas; I knew there was a lot I could do to refine it. So I bought the unit on the condition that I could improve the floor plan.€VbCrLf

When asked about his décor, David says he is most interested in Italian modern design: “It’s more distinctive and not as ubiquitous as French modern.€VbCrLf

And improve it he did. David’s 2-year-old loft is an open and serene space, though in the original renderings the front door opened into a narrow hall with a series of doors along the left wall. “It could have been a dorm hallway,€VbCrLf David says. Reconfiguring the floor plan allowed David to open up the space, creating a natural sense of flow from room to room.

He also relocated the washer and dryer from the upstairs loft, which overlooks the



living room and has a view of downtown through the 20-foot-tall windows, to a closet he designed into the downstairs guest bath. “Moving the washer and dryer from the loft allowed me to create a second seating area and space for watching television up there,€VbCrLf he explains.

Then David turned his attention to the décor, which he kept clean and spare. “I have very little color,€VbCrLf he says. “I like coming home to the serenity of shades of white and taupe-even the natural colors of the concrete walls and floor. I find it peaceful and relaxing.€VbCrLf The neutrals also provide a dramatic backdrop for David’s collection of works by regional artists. “The extra display space was a real factor in my decision to buy the loft,€VbCrLf  David says. “I only had 1,200 square feet in the Kessler Park house. Now I have 2,300-and 20-foot walls-so I’ve been able to expand my collection and purchase some really large-scale pieces of art.€VbCrLf

LESS IS MORE: We asked David to identify the artists in his collection, and he replied, “I don’t collect €˜name’ art; the blue-chip stuff isn’t for me.€VbCrLf One of his favorite aspects of the loft, David says, is that he can “fine-tune it without feeling like I’m overspending.€VbCrLf His fine-tuning plans include rotating the kitchen island, removing the pantry, adding more visually appealing ductwork, and upgrading the lighting.

Other than adding to his art collection, David didn’t buy many new items for his loft. “I don’t have anything really precious,€VbCrLf he says, “because I don’t want to be tied to my possessions. I keep something as long as it works, and then I rotate it out. Even the art. And it works because I never really plan my own interiors. What I do for my clients requires such planning and forethought that I like to be more spontaneous in my own home. I like balance and harmony, but I don’t like it to be formal or symmetrical. My motto is €˜never be obvious.’€VbCrLf

Sounds like good advice, David. Can we quote you on that?

The Danish modern chair in the right corner of the living room (left) is a $500 junk-shop find. “It was covered in the original, itchy, green upholstery, and the arms were orangey teak,€VbCrLf David recalls. “I just stained the wood black and re-covered the rest.€VbCrLf

---

DINNER IS SERVED: Entertaining plays a big part in Pam’s life, and she has the china, silver, glassware, and dedicated storage space to prove it. “Storage is paramount,€VbCrLf she says, pointing out the butler’s pantry, dessert cart, buffet, and three large chests of drawers in her dining room. “If you can’t get to it, you won’t use it.€VbCrLf (Below left) In the sitting room outside her bedroom, Pam upholstered the chaises in “industrial-strength,€VbCrLf commercial-grade purple velvet. “It handles my husband, our nieces who like to sleepover, and the newspaper, including the New York Times.€VbCrLf

Home and Heart
The 22-year-old Highland Park home of designer Pam Kelley is filled with fond memories of family and friends.

One enters the home of Pam Kelley, ASID, by climbing several steps on a generous brick front stoop, which Pam decorates seasonally. And this tells you something about Pam’s idea of what makes a home: she takes care to welcome one and all before they even reach her “lipstick red€VbCrLf front door.





Once inside, you’ll find yourself in the grand family manse Pam designed to be “generous enough for guests but small enough to feel like home.€VbCrLf You might expect the house of a noted local designer to feel more like a showcase than anything else-and, indeed, Pam’s warm and traditional decor is lovely-but Pam is quick to say, “It’s a home, not a museum.€VbCrLf The first rule of interior design in the Kelley home, she says, is that it has to be comfortable. And not just for her own immediate family-which includes three King Charles spaniels, a Norfolk Terrier, and what Pam calls “the oldest cat in captivity,€VbCrLf the 22-year-old grand dame of the estate-but also for the myriad of clients, guests, friends, and extended family members who frequently enjoy her hospitality. “The doors are always open, the house is always full of people, and there’s always a good meal to be had,€VbCrLf she says with a smile.

BENEATH YOU: “These chairs are very comfortable,€VbCrLf Pam says. “And that’s important. I don’t like people to leave right after they eat. Comfortable chairs encourage them to linger. We have great discussions around the dinner table.€VbCrLf And the Persian rug beneath the table? “It covers a multitude of sins.€VbCrLf

So it’s no surprise that the public rooms are designed to lend themselves to having guests. “The living room is really parlor-sized, but it’s a great overflow-room for entertaining,€VbCrLf she





says. “With the extra stools and ottomans, it can comfortably seat 10. My theory of furniture placement is that no one should have to pull up a chair to join a conversation. And I always put a little something next to a chair for holding books or drinks. Nothing makes people more uncomfortable than to have nowhere to set their drink.€VbCrLf

Because she entertains frequently, Pam has an extensive collection of antique dishes, glassware, and silver. “And I use every bit of it,€VbCrLf she says. “To the point that I make up occasions so I can pull out a pattern I haven’t used in a while. And I mix and match with abandon-new pieces with vintage, one pattern with another. I love to layer a table.€VbCrLf And she manages to store everything she needs right at hand in the dining room. “There’s the butler’s pantry, of course,€VbCrLf she says, “but I also store pieces in the dessert cart and three large antique chests of drawers. Most people would put them in a bedroom, but they work so well for me in the dining room.€VbCrLf

Pam has also mastered the art of storage in her warm and sunny kitchen, which is her favorite room in the house. “I love my kitchen,€VbCrLf she says. “It’s just large enough and just small enough for one cook-me. And the work triangle is perfect; it’s four steps from one point to another.€VbCrLf The oversized drawers were designed to accommodate the large pots and pans she uses to cook for friends and family. “Cooking is a passion of mine,€VbCrLf she says. “It’s one of the most relaxing things I do.€VbCrLf

In such a well-organized kitchen, we don’t doubt it.

COLOR ME RED: Ask Pam to name the yellow in the kitchen and she’ll say, “Oh, it’s probably the yellow in Monet’s famous kitchen at Giverny.€VbCrLf

Her rooms are alive with color and texture. “I love color,€VbCrLf she says. “Especially red. You could paint me red.€VbCrLf Also on the list of Pam’s great loves are her collections of Staffordshire and majolica. “I can’t remember when I wasn’t collecting,€VbCrLf she says. As to how she displays her collections, she shrugs, “When I run out of horizontal space, I go up.€VbCrLf