The Pavone Effect

January 13, 2026

An event pro’s lower-level lounge struts its stuff with moody, Italian-inspired boutique hotel bar vibes.

Words
Andrea Darr

Photos
Josie Benefield
@josiedell_photo

ris and Courtney Nardini were on track to build a new custom home in Liberty—an ambitious build that required shaving off the top of a hill—when a friend told them about a unique home that popped up on the market nearby. The homeowner was eager to sell—including everything in the house, down to the glassware and liquor bottles.

Having already sold their house, the Nardinis—along with three of the couple’s four daughters and five cats—were living in an apartment and ready for more space. This new option was the easy answer, plus it came with a finished basement and pool—two things they weren’t going to get with the new build.

So, they pivoted.

A new project emerged, of course, but one that was way more fun and less stressful.

“We have been fixing it up to our style ever since,” Kris says.

The house was built in the 2000s, and not decorated to the couple’s taste. Courtney leaned toward a more Traditional or French Country style upstairs, while the walkout lower level spun off in its own direction.

“The basement is more my style; it’s showy. It’s what I do for my business—I create a wow-factor,” says Kris, owner of Platinum XP, a company that produces next-level events with lighting and sound. “I love to transform a ballroom or even a street party.”

With two levels and soaring ceilings, the basement offered a blank slate for his imagination. A hands-on creative whose flipped every home he’s lived in since getting married, Kris never shies away from a challenge. If he can’t find something he wants, he builds it—like the custom bar that now anchors the room.

Once the kids were grown and the once-pristine white carpet had suffered its last share of teenage parties, the parents reclaimed the space for an adult playground. The former home theater became a lounge-worthy destination—moody, musical, and unapologetically dramatic.

“We are an event family—every one of us is in events. We can have movie night upstairs,” Kris says.

He approached the space with speakeasy style, including old-fashioned gold door hardware and antiques. He is fond of intricate gold picture frames that he fills with blown-up photos of the family’s travels, which he is amassing in preparation for a full-scale gallery wall.

The atmosphere took a definitive turn in 2023 after the family’s first trip to Italy—the first of a few trips since then.

“I, in particular, fell in love with Italy; I feel like I belong there,” says Kris, whose grandfather was Italian. “I’m a quarter Italian, but I totally identify with that life—their art, aesthetic, culture, life. In their architecture, it’s all about the details, beauty in everything—in every restaurant, even the bathrooms are gorgeous.”

That appreciation for art and detail found a home in what the couple now call The Pavone—Italian for “peacock.” Elegant references to the bird appear subtly throughout the lower level, from tone-on-tone wallpaper to statues, lamps, and even bathroom accessories.

The couple sourced key pieces directly from the Murano Glass Factory in Venice, including two smoky black glass chandeliers—custom-made, engraved with their anniversary date, and shipped in 52 carefully packed pieces back to the U.S. Suspended from the double-height ceiling, the chandeliers cast a sultry, golden glow across the room.

Naturally, every light is on dimmers and color-changing modes. “Sometimes I’ll ‘Green Lady’ it,” Kris jokes, referencing the famed downtown jazz bar at 18th and Grand.

Because the floor-to-ceiling windows can flood the space with daylight, Kris installed 40-foot black drapes—seen at the likes of T-Mobile Center or Union Station—that create an instant mood, whether it’s 2 p.m. or midnight.

“I wanted to shrink the scale, to make it feel like a true lounge,” he says.

There’s a small stage platform—complete with a drum set Kris plays—and two pianos, one small enough for the next generation of musicians. “I’m still looking for the perfect old-school mic and stand,” Kris adds.

The Pavone has become the site of a growing number of celebrations—proposal parties, wedding showers, even a 100-person wedding reception. The Nardinis have crafted a personalized bar menu featuring drinks named after their kids and pets, ensuring every detail has a point of reference.

“When people come down here, they immediately notice the lighting, the sound, the music,” Kris says. There’s even a speaker in the bathroom, so no one misses a moment of a Chiefs game watch party (even if they are trying to hide from the final play).

Still, the perfectionist in him sees more to do.

“There are blank walls waiting for tile or art. I want more layers,” Kris says. “In Europe—especially in churches—I was in awe of that level of detail. We went to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and it was mind-blowing. We’re not going to that level here, but the inspiration is real.”

For now, Kris calls it “75 percent done”—though everyone else might argue it’s already a masterpiece.

Because for the Nardinis, it’s less about checking boxes and more about creating a space that keeps evolving—just like a good story, told to friends over a glass of wine, surrounded by a warm glow and lovely things.