“It was an opportunity to come up with something creative,” Farnum says. “Everything I do is highly custom, and this was so out of the box and fun.”

Farnum was called in to bring warmth, light and a sense of cohesiveness to the project. The owner/builder brought plenty of ideas to the table, too, starting—obviously—with a steel-beam structure. 

“The house is not going to budge,” she says.

But the client’s unique contributions to the house need a closer look: The custom cabinets are outfitted with steel hinges, the baseboards are riveted to the wall, and, most noticeably, a four-chamber gas fireplace makes for one heckuva conversation piece. Its doors crank open individually and can heat the whole house. Laid on a bed of river rock, it makes a true centerpiece in the home. 

The floor plan is open, with living space on one side and the kitchen on the other. A pool is right outside, with a garage slider that completely opens up the space.

Large-format porcelain tile floor throughout was needed to make cleaning up super easy and low-maintenance. 

“They do a lot of hosting and gathering, so we needed the least amount of grout lines as possible,” Amy says. “It’s a hub for a lot of family activity, indoors and out.”

In the kitchen, the cobalt-blue appliances were one of the first selections made by the homeowners. 

An industrial welding vent hood hangs over a 10-burner gas stove whose arm can be moved any which way.

 “Some of the selections are way above residential grade,” Farnum notes.