Collaborating with builder Brett Standard of RM Standard Construction, Keith and his clients began the ambitious update of the 6,100-square-foot home in March 2022. Committed to the pursuit of beauty and functionality throughout the residence, they aimed to reconfigure the main and upper levels to establish a more amenable flow and a better-informed use of the space. So, the original structure was taken down to the  studs, and a lower-level bar and media room were added to the plans to extend entertaining and gathering options from the upper level. 

Presented with a tantalizing blank canvas of possibilities, Keith focused on bringing nature into the decor scheme in understated yet not-so-subtle ways. The main-level powder room’s playful Gucci heron wallpaper—portrayed on a soft green background—depicts the leggy birds with dragonflies scattered throughout, inspired by the iconic designer’s ready-to-wear collection. 

“For such a small room, the wallpaper artfully contributes personality and depth, especially with the marble vanity,” says Keith, who counts the diminutive room as one of his design favorites in the renovation. “You can’t walk into the half bath and not go, ‘Wow!’”

Continuing the homeowner’s desire to intersperse touches of the natural world throughout the reimagined residence, Keith incorporated warm woods, floral patterns, stone, marble and more birds in a variety of textures and treatments on the fireplaces as well as in the kitchen, scullery, bedrooms, her walk-in closet and the lower level. A bench in the husband’s closet was reupholstered in a bird design, and well-placed shiplap found its way to the ceiling of the serene primary suite and the wall of the son’s bedroom. Keith relied on a swath of art that the couple acquired from frequent travels over the years—combined with cherished pieces from the husband’s mother’s collection—to juxtapose the new pieces.

The kitchen caters to the wife’s passion for baking, with a 10-foot by 4-foot Calacatta Belgia marble island to accommodate endless sessions of creating cookies, often in large batches, and other made-from-scratch treats. The milky white stone, densely traced with gray veining, is repeated as an oven backsplash, lending warmth to the light-drenched room. Two airy and sophisticated Ralph Lauren Cara sculpted pendants illuminate the working space and add a measure of the streamlined modern aesthetic that the homeowner is fond of. 

“The new kitchen might be the most dramatic change in the entire renovation,” Keith notes, “because we amended how it functions, starting with changing the direction of the island, adding the scullery and expanding the adjoining hearth room.”

The husband’s home office leans into an intriguing, moody and masculine personality, thanks to the forest-green walls and ceiling and the black iron doors. A Sean Lavin chandelier with brass accents helps anchor the room, while two paintings by a commissioned North Carolina artist add punches of color.