From House To Home

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Behind the sturdy brick exteriors of this classic Wichita home lays an interesting puzzle. From room to room, the interiors don’t seem to rely on color for the strength of the aesthetic. But a closer inspection reveals just the opposite. The subtle blend of colors is, in fact, critical to the home’s success. It seems that instead of making a minimalist statement, eliminating the excess reveals a much richer palette.

Homeowner Jenese Gallardo and her husband, Tom, were intrigued by the open floor plan of the 5,000-square-foot home. The facade defies its true scale because the lot’s topography allows a walk-out basement that helps elevate the main living area and gives the communal spaces a more lofty perspective.

Which is just what Jenese wanted. “I wanted the architectural features—not the things I have in it—to be the focus of the house,” she explains. By taking ownership of the project, she not only created from a singular vision, but she also impressed one person who actually got left out of the decision-making process.

“My husband likes the complete opposite (of what she wanted to achieve.) He likes huge furniture and ornate pieces. So I told him very quickly, ‘I’m just going to keep you out of making the decisions,’” she says, matter-of-factly. Fortunately, Tom was in good hands and, as Jenese explains, “Now he absolutely loves it.”

Not only was Jenese confident in her vision, but she also got great advice from designer Zachary Conner of ABODE Home in Wichita. ABODE offers an array of eclectic furnishings and also provides three-dimensional renderings of interior projects so clients can get a virtual preview of their project.

Decorating gives this homeowner the opportunity to explore the aesthetic of heritage, and she chose pieces with their origins in mind. In her master bedroom, for example, she worked backward from a framed print of Buddha which inspired the colors and style. She then blended Asian collectibles with Spanish architectural details. The precise styling of the canopy bed makes it seem like part of the architecture. Above the fireplace, a Geisha girl dressed in flowing red and gold meditates on the beauty of her surroundings. Multicultural elements are intertwined this way throughout the home, and everything is framed in a very precise palette.

Conner believes his client may be riding a wave that is just beginning to reach Wichita. This trend is toward a more simple approach to decorating. Keeping family heirlooms close is fine, he says. But eliminating chaos allows individual pieces to really shine.

One of the signatures in this home is the way the wood trim is painted white against the darker walls. And in almost every room, the ceiling is painted to match. This creates a uniform statement that helps give each room its own integrity while still flowing from one to the next.

The beautiful kitchen was enhanced when Jenese made suggestions to the builder while it was still under construction. Since she and Tom have a large family, she wanted to make sure it suited their needs. Her primary goal was to contain the kitchen, but also have it flow easily into the large living room. She suggested a framed arch divider with space behind it for added storage. “I’ve never had a large enough kitchen for all of my family, so that was very important,” she explains.

Despite her clear vision, Jenese is quick to admit she is always learning. “I don’t have decorating training or anything, but when I hit the door, I just want to feel good about my space,” she says.

With Christmas just around the corner, this dedicated stylist may find it challenging to keep from adding too much to her decorating palette. But here, among the artifacts of a refined simplicity, she’s figured out a unique approach and reinvented the palette of red and green that defines the season of lights.

Instead of red, she chose burnt orange and incorporated whimsical touches into the garlands which decorate her rooms. And for green, she moved toward shades of metallic that would be equally at home on a shiny motorcycle as they are on the cone-shaped trees that decorate the formal dining room.

Which brings the story full circle. Without ever becoming predictable, Jenese and her decorator rearranged our expectations, and then set us comfortably down in a very familiar place. The palette is simple, yet complex. It is something akin to lying in a field of Kansas wheat, staring at the blue sky, and realizing that despite the monochromatic vision, you have been captured by the beauty that surrounds you.