BlantonDesignBlog.com

I have some pretty amazing friends, I must say. Several months ago I mentioned Ivan Spaller and Priscilla Glover in this blog when talking about their “Marlin House”. They are both artists in many ways and I finally had the opportunity to work with them in staging their latest masterpiece, “Barcelona Modern”. A long rectangular house with cut outs at the entrances and large steel-clad round windows, this is a home like you have never seen before and likely will never see again. Most of their houses are like this, as Spaller/Glover don’t like to repeat themselves and are only limited by their imaginations, which appear to actually have no limits. Every house is a stunner and an audible gasp is usually heard when entering their homes. The Marlin house was just a simple farm house before they got ahold of it and moved to Bouldin Creek, where they added hand-cut, custom gingerbread, marble floors (in the kitchen and baths), custom ballisters and trim throughout and a third story steel and glass gable in the master bedroom that has a breathtaking view of downtown.

The Bouldin Castle was their next project where they converted a 100 year old stacked stone church and continued the theme to roughly triple the size into this monumental structure, now already an icon of the Bouldin Creek neighborhood. They added a basement, large turret with spiral staircase that leads to the master suite and reading loft atop the tower, carriage house and expanded kitchen with coffered ceiling constructed on an inverted arc, by the way.

Bouldin Castle

Master bath in Bouldin Castle

Custom sink in guest bath

Barcelona Modern is no exception to their impressive portfolio. When they approached me about helping them stage it, I just brought them to the warehouse and let them pick the pieces they thought would fit their vision. I compared it to giving Picasso a palette with only colors I would chose: blasphemy!  With lots of collaboration between us as well as feedback from their realtor Kenny Hilbig with Gottesman Residential, we came up with a winning combination in luxurious modern furnishings and artwork that reflects not only the quiet, minimal spirit needed to allow the house to shine, but also floral and nature photography from Stacy Kirk and Chris Carson. Andrew Anderson, Rebecca Bennett and Cheryl Finfrock also graciously supplied their amazing artwork to the project.

Other details in this home that stand out are the white oak floors laid in a chevron pattern, dramatic light fixtures throughout, perfectly round crystal door knobs and push button light fixtures that are a nod to the modernist trend in the 1920’s. My grandmother’s house had these same light switches so somehow they gave me a nostalgic feeling in this brand new construction. Spaller/Glover have a true appreciation for restoration and classical architecture so even though these three projects I have mentioned are essentially “new”, there is definitely a sense of history in each one.

Barcelona Modern exterior

Barcelona Modern living/dining areas

Barcelona Modern master bedroom