1) Designers Susan Nicole Thompson and Bennett Lee remodeled a dark and outdated 1990s home in Holladay, Utah into a light-filled showcase of luxurious design. 2) They transformed the entryway into a formal foyer with an inlaid marble floor and mirrored ceiling, and reworked the floor plan to open up the living spaces. 3) Throughout the remodel, the designers incorporated polished design elements like hickory floors, light gray walls, and dark window trims to create a cohesive and sophisticated aesthetic, while using vibrant jewel tones to define individual rooms.

1. Polished
Performance
BY BRAD MEE PHOTOS BY SCOT ZIMMERMAN
In Holladay, a team of pros transforms a dark ’90s interior into a
showcase of light-filled spaces, vibrant jewel tones and chic, classic style.
82 U TA H S T Y L E A N D D E S I G N . C O M

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A new fireplace, classic millwork and a wall of built-in cabinets replaced
the original stone feature. Dark beams span the ceiling while a custom
rug from Regency Royale anchors the seating area below. Four custom
tufted chairs covered in a Pindler & Pindler fabric add pops of color to
the space.The sofa is by Mitchell Gold & BobWilliams.
BEFORE

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Left: Classic white
paneling, an inlaid
marble “rug” and a
stunning rectangular
chandelier suspended
from an illuminated
mirrored ceiling cove
transform the once drab
entry.The designers
painted the door and
windows dark charcoal
to replicate the eye-
catching look of iron.

4. S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 85
Holladay has always been known as a hotbed of beautiful homes and stylish living, and the tony
area’s swell of smartly remodeled residences only reinforces its reputation. Count the recent
project by designers Susan Nicole Thompson and Bennett Lee and contractor Ryan Taylor among
them. Once dark and outdated, the home they remodeled is now a showcase of light, luxe and
high-style livability. Today, when guests step into this family home, they are greeted not by a ho-
hum entry with open views into the home, but by an enclosed, formal foyer enriched by a stunning
inlaid marble floor, mirrored ceiling cove and white, paneled walls. The look is bright and unmis-
takably glamorous—a look that defines the new design as a whole. It also taps the woman-of-the-
home’s chic, polished style. “Good design should always honor the homeowner,” says Thompson
who, along with Lee and Taylor, collaborated to create an interior that achieved this at every turn.
Above:The team redesigned the office’s fireplace and
refinished golden alder wood elements in fresh white.
A watercolor floral wall covering, a custom tufted sofa,
a Currey & Company chandelier, Bungalow 5 mirror and
striking hide area rug add pops of color and pattern.
BEFORE

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BEFORE

6. S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 87
An “adult lounge” performs as a hip gathering space
that opens to both the new kitchen and a luxurious
sitting room, now closed off from the entry and
uniquely framed by a box of open walls. Neutral tones
provide a soothing transition from room to room.
The client’s love of chandeliers inspired the assorted
jewelry-like lighting fixtures of the home. “If they
matched, they wouldn’t look special,”Thompson says.
Top right: A series of framed agate coasters
animate the sitting room’s feature wall.
Right: Susan NicoleThompson, principle of The
Design House Interior Design, with associate
Bennett Lee.

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To transform the home’s main level, the team
not only enclosed the entry, but also reformatted
the floor plan. They revised a tunnel-like hallway
leading to the living and dining areas on its way to a
great room occupying the back of the home. One of
the project’s most stylistic and structural transfor-
mations, this new passageway boasts a solid wall
enclosing pantries and a powder room discreetly
hidden behind what appear to be decorative wall
panels. The pros also removed a wall separating
the kitchen from the adjoining dining area and
replaced it with a double-sided bar featuring glass
upper cabinets. “The kitchen was so dim and dark
and by removing the wall, we really opened it up,”
explains Taylor, owner of Upland Development.
These dramatic changes allow interior views and
natural light to flood the main level, front to back.
“We wanted to create rooms on top of rooms, each
defined with its own feel and purpose but that flow
effortlessly into each other,” Lee explains.
A myriad of key treatments and materials foster
the desired sense of continuity. Circle-sawn, wire-
brushed hickory floors replaced outdated slate tile
and run uninterrupted room-to-room as do light

8. S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 89
In the kitchen, windows and floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets
symmetrically frame the feature wall’s custom range hood
andTabarka Studio tile.A large quartzite-topped island
replaced the kitchen’s original multi-level version. Dark
beams add contrast and rusticity to the white room.
Left: Dark-trimmed posts pop against the stairway’s white
paneled walls and risers.A new window seat provides a spot to
sit and admire the lush landscape and the family room below.
BEFORE

9. 1. The entry’s new molding and inlaid
marble “rug” introduce a design
motif that recurs throughout the
renewed interior.
2. The tunnel-like hallway was remodeled
to feature a wall accessing pantries and
a powder room discreetly hidden behind
paneled doors. The designers painted
the paneled wall in a satin rather than
glossy paint to create a fresh, anything-
but-stuffy look and feel.
3. Handmade and finished in silver leaf,
dimensionalTabarka Studio tiles add
pattern to the bright kitchen space.
4. A GlobalViews chandelier and
draperies in a Pindler & Pindler
fabric refresh the dining area.
A Glam Slam
2
3
4
1
90 U TA H S T Y L E A N D D E S I G N . C O M
gray walls trimmed in white, formal wall panels
and dark-painted window mullions. “We love
the style of old iron windows, so we painted the
home’s white window frames dark charcoal to
mimic the look,” Thompson says. This seamless
palette of sophisticated design elements creates
a chic and subtle backdrop for the interior’s
most striking feature—color. It unites and at
the same time differentiates separate living and
entertaining spaces.
The designers strategically selected ebullient
jewel tones of sapphire, amethyst, emerald and
black onyx for furnishings and custom finishes
that help define the style of each room. “With such
an open layout, the pops of color throughout the
house had to be carefully worked in,” Thompson
explains. In the office located off the entry, for
example, brilliant blue pairs with watercolor-
like wallpaper and white refinished cabinetry to
conceive a statement of pure glam. Conversely, the
chic sitting room—structurally framed like a room
within a room—is accented with shots of pale am-
ethyst and champagne tones to create a tranquil,
ultra-luxe vibe furthered by a custom ombre wool
rug, large Tibetan lamb–covered bench and tiered
nickel chandelier. “The homeowner didn’t want
anything too formal or stuffy,” Lee says. The look is
serene and definitely sexy.
Further into the house, neutral charcoal and
silver tones define the adult lounge while vibrant
emerald kicks it up a notch in the great room
beyond. There, boldly tufted green custom chairs
perform like art as seen from perhaps the most
transformed of spaces, the kitchen.
Once weighed down by golden alder and rustic
’90s style, the kitchen is now bright, open and
elegant. Dark beams span the ceiling, and white
cabinetry stretches floor to ceiling. An eye-catch-
ing back wall of dimensional tile and a shapely
hood establishes a classic statement of symmetry.
“The client wanted a beautiful range hood, so
we moved the sink and placed the hood between
two new windows that flank it,” Thompson says.
A large island replaces an outdated multi-level
version while integrated Thermador appliances
and hidden storage elevate the room’s style and
performance. Touches of polished nickel sparkle
like jewelry in the fashion-forward space.
The renovation not only improved the home’s
flow and function, but also personalized it with
a chic, classic style that resonates throughout. “I
can go in any room, dressed up or dressed down,
depending on the occasion,” one of the home-
owners says. Thanks to a team of talented pros,
the remodel provides spaces the family enjoys in
a home it truly loves. USD

10. Seductive shades of amethyst and
champagne dress the stylish sitting
room. A linen-covered cocktail table
sits between a custom tufted sofa and
largeTibetan lamb–covered bench. An
ombre wool rug from Regency Royale
anchors the space. Chandelier by
Robert Abbey Lighting.
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