A Fruitful Field Trip

With a 5,500-square-foot floor plan ready for construction, Kaufman took Hickok to one of the world’s most pivotal places for home designers: North Carolina’s High Point Market, a biannual showcase of on-trend furnishings and décor. Kaufman had a number of interior features in mind—several sculptural lighting fixtures, for example—and wanted Hickok to experience the quality in person before making the investment. The home’s lighting is a mix of pieces from Hudson Valley Lighting, Visual Comfort, Studio M Lighting—and, in the central stairwell, an eye-catching installation custom-designed by Hubbardton Forge.

“I had seen the lighting fixture that we installed in the stairwell a few years prior at market in a showroom window,” Kaufman says. “It’s just the coolest light, and I had to find somewhere to put it. As soon as I showed it to James, he agreed.”

As Kaufman continued to amass inspiration—both from that particular market trip and an ongoing file of 500+ images—she laid out the home over and over again to capture that all-important blend of form and function.

“This house was my life for about 13 months,” she says.

While the team wanted to embrace a modern aesthetic, they also wanted to ensure each part of the home would feel inviting, not stark. Sleek lines and open spaces are tempered by a mix of wood that introduces both warmth and texture. Ten-foot ceilings throughout the main level—including unexpected places like the kitchen—infuse an airiness into the space, further enhanced by abundant, oversized windows, including an entire glass wall that backs the multistory, cantilevered staircase.

A sometimes-overlooked part of entertaining isn’t simply how guests might use the space, but also how they’ll move throughout it. A subtle circular flow ebbs throughout the main level. Sliding doors easily blur the line between inside and out, giving guests more opportunities to slowly drift from room to room.

Of course, every party needs a starting point, and it’s typically the kitchen. This home is no exception, boasting a dream kitchen anchored by a stunning focal point that Kaufman fought to include.

“This piece was a significant investment, but it’s the centerpiece—it makes the kitchen,” she says.

The quartzite island itself is stocked with hidden cabinetry and a sink placed for optimal sight lines into the home and the surrounding outdoor views. A cantilevered dining table extends from the island and is aligned with the home’s entryway axis, creating a subtle symmetry.

The kitchen flows into a butler’s pantry, an entertainer’s secret weapon to effortlessly extend prep space and hide clutter. Stocked with a sink, dishwasher, icemaker, microwave and beverage drawers, the butler’s pantry is a sort of kitchen itself. Kaufman—ever the proponent of functional spaces—also seized opportunities to include thoughtful details that make a big impact. One example: a slim, 6-inch wide cabinet next to the refrigerator that hides a stepladder for easy access to bonus storage space in the top cabinets.

“This is a house to entertain,” Kaufman says. “The host can be at the island and see guests throughout the living area, on the outdoor patio next to the rock wall—everyone is connected while also having room to relax and be in the moment.”