Inspiring design: Look inside this fun, playful 5-year-old home in Louisville
- The homeowner, an air traffic controller, wanted a playful and exciting home to de-stress after work.
- Interior designer Jordan Lewis used bold pieces, including Asian-inspired prints and a mix of green, amber, and dark brown hues, to create a unique and impactful design.
- The dining room features striking chinoiserie wallpaper, a geometric oak veneer table, and a mix of eclectic accents.
- The living room showcases an eclectic blend of styles, with a velvet green sofa, mid-century modern chairs, and rustic touches.
When Jordan Laws of J L Interiors got to work on this Louisville-area home, she had one main goal: to create a playful place for her client to return to at the end of each work day.
“She was an air traffic controller and her life was super stressful,” Laws explained. “Most people want something really relaxing, but I think with her job and her personality, she wanted something that was exciting (and) fun to come home to.”
Bold blueprint
In order to infuse some whimsy into the three-bedroom home, Laws knew she had to incorporate lots of bold pieces throughout the space.
“For the most part, she kind of let me run with what I wanted to do,” Laws recalled. “She really wanted to make a statement and have some impactful design pieces rather than … blend or be trendy.”
The homeowner wanted people to walk into her abode and instantly love it or hate it — so Laws incorporated a carefully curated selection of furnishings, wallpaper, lighting, and decor to evoke strong feelings from all who enter.
In the hallway, two large heron prints from Laws' storefront hang on one wall; a small bench with a rust-colored pillow is set just below.
“She really loved the herons and the Asian-inspired prints,” Laws said, referring to the chinoiserie dining room wallpaper, which is visible from the hall. “She also did a mix of greens and amber colors throughout the house, along with dark browns to match her staircase. … We mixed golds and blacks, too, which were really nice and gave her a little pop of metallic color.”
This look is carried into the bedrooms, too, of course. Custom-made, Asian-inspired accent pillows adorn the beds while pops of the colors used throughout other areas of home are incorporated via lamps, ottomans, and other accessories.
Chic chinoiserie
Because the dining room wallpaper is so bold, the rest of the space is fairly neutral in hue — but not in style. The oak veneer table, which boasts a top that is best described as an offset hexagon, offers seating for four and sits atop a rug that complements the window treatments.
“(There are) little tassels all over the drapery that make little lines coming all the way down,” Laws said. “We pulled the lines from the drapery and pulled that into the rug.”
A dracaena — which matches the wallpaper — sits in one corner of the room, while a Marilyn Monroe tiger print adorns the opposite wall. Under it, two rust-colored ottomans help pull more of the home’s color scheme into the dining room.
Laws also added a few accent pieces on the table itself, placed directly below the large, geometric chandelier. These items include a beaded lantern; a large, dark wood chain; and a vase that appears to be rusted through.
“(The homeowner) was pretty eclectic in what she wanted,” Laws said. “She didn’t really have any set style, so we mixed a bunch of things to (create) her own, unique style.”
Lively living
This eclectic style is especially evident in the living room, which features a velvet green sofa; mid-century modern chairs; more bold, Asian-inspired accent pillows; and rustic touches throughout the built-in and along the mantel. These include a large circular mirror, horse bookends, various jars and vases, and necklace sculptures.
“You can see things that look found or handmade,” Laws said. “(It’s) just all those little eclectic pieces that we’ve put together.”
Another one-of-kind, handmade piece adorns the wall along the staircase and is visible from the living room. Crafted by local artist Zoe Luvisi, the large macrame wall hanging features a brass rod, rust hues with an ombre effect, and a diagonal cut to go with the stairs.
“She did a really good job,” Laws exclaimed. “She came and did measurements and everything to make sure that piece was perfect, and it turned out great.”
Laws adds that while the living room features a wide array of prints and pieces, what pulls it all together is the consistent color palette.
“I think that’s one thing that a lot of people miss and don’t understand,” she said. “They’ll go out and buy all these things that they love and that they throw together — and it looks hodgepodge. If you have at least one overall theme in mind — whether that’s the color palette (or) the style — that really helps (homeowners design) on their own.”
Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.
nuts & bolts
Home: This is a three-bed, three-bath, 1,800-square-foot transitional home with a 1,000-square-foot basement. It was built in Louisville’s Signature Point community in 2020.
Distinctive elements: Green & rust color palette paired with dark and light natural finishes; hall style foyer with rattan pendant lights; Asian-inspired wallpapered dining room; locally made custom rope wall decor; mix of styles for an eclectic interior.
Applause! Applause! Furnishings, wallpaper, updated lighting, and decor by J L Interiors; custom wall hanging commissioned by Zoe Luvisi from Dope Rope Designs; photography by Jacob McRoberts.