ARCHITECT Howorth & Associates BUILDER Micky Babb Construction LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Community Design Project
WRITTEN BY Caitlin Adams | PHOTOGRAPHED BY Joe Worthem
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After a long renovation, a midcentury
ranch house on South 10th Street evolved
into a stylish space for a young family.
When Emily Blount, a West Coast native
living in New York City, moved south with
her husband and two sons, the allure of
owning her first house was both exhilarating
and terrifying.
Oxford’s roomy, single-family options
were a stark contrast to the minimal storage
space and square footage the Blounts grew
accustomed to while living on Manhattan’s
Lower East Side.
“It was a little overwhelming,” Emily said.
After a deal on a house they wanted fell
through, the couple set their sights on a threebedroom, 1950s ranch-style house on South
10th Street. The quiet, family-friendly street
had them excited about the neighborhood, but
the closed-off floor plan posed obstacles for the
family’s lifestyle.
The front entryway and formal dining room in the original part of the house boast dark hardwood floors, which are found throughout the home. Emily Blount took care to ensure that the
original footprint and new addition blended seamlessly to help the space feel unified. Now the floor plan is open but still fits the midcentury style of the house.
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Open shelving, inspired by Emily’s mother’s kitchen, puts ornate pottery and artisanal cooking utensils within easy reach for the Blounts, who love to entertain. Emily’s favorite part of the
kitchen was an unexpected perk: The main window overlooks the driveway, providing a spot to watch her sons play outside while she cooks dinner.
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“What I thought was
going to be a little
remodel totally took
on a life of its own.
We made a couple of
core decisions, and it
just kept developing
from there.”
-Emily Blount
“I wasn’t totally convinced because the
charm wasn’t built in,” Emily said.
But with the help of a local architecture
firm, the Blounts knew they could reimagine
the house to fit their needs. The renovation
took a year to complete, and when it was
finished, the house had nearly doubled in size
to 3,400 square feet.
“What I thought was going to be a little
remodel totally took on a life of its own,” Emily
said. “We made a couple of core decisions, and
it just kept developing from there.”
Gray shingle siding was replaced with
white painted bricks, and a polished tin roof
was installed.
“Luckily, for the neighbors’ sake, it has
dulled over the course of the year,” she said,
laughing.
Emily also made elevating the home’s
curbside appeal a priority. Floor-to-ceiling
French doors replaced the only two original
windows, and plans were drafted for a covered
front porch.
“It’s where we spend a lot of our time,” she
said. “We love sitting outside watching the kids
play in the neighborhood.”
Inside, the traditional ranch floor plan was
re-created to become a spacious, open concept.
Walls that barricaded the kitchen were torn
down, as was a covered garage, to make room
for a new living area and a master suite.
The changes were drastic, but each was
made with forethought and purpose.
“I really paid attention to consistency
throughout the entire house,” Emily said,
pointing to a new fireplace that evokes the
original style. “I didn’t want there to be a
glaring difference between the old part of the
house and the new part.”
While Emily had no trouble picking
which wall to tear down or what subway tile to
use for the backsplash, she found it difficult to
make decisions about textiles and décor.
“When it comes to pillows and stuff, that’s
where I wanted to tear my hair out,” she said.
Luckily, she had a professional interior
The formal dining room in the original part of the house.
Interior designer Sam Blount, of Sam Blount Inc. in New
York, helped choose a neutral color palette that made
sense with the house.
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INVITATION OXFORD | May 2015
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Cell: 662-832-5051
[email protected]
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(662) 840-6145 • www.KeepItCasual.com
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61
Mirrored built-ins are a recent addition. The coffee table
is made of driftwood and resin, and the mirror, made in
Mississippi, was a focal point in their New York apartment, only to make its way back down South.
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JOIN US FOR A
CELEBRATION
OF
HOMECOMING:
GEORGE
WARDLAW
DAY
TUESDAY,
MAY 26TH
5:30-8:30PM
BLUE AUGUST
107 EAST MAIN ST
BALDWYN, MISSISSIPPI
Join us for a special presentation.
Meet the artist and enjoy several
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Visit www.BaldwynLiving.com for
for more info.
designer in the family to help. Her husband’s
uncle Sam Blount, a professional interior designer in New York, served as the expert
consultant and helped rein in Emily, who entertained thoughts of Moroccan tile and bold
prints from the start.
“He forced me to pick what this house
was,” she said.
They settled on a neutral palette of black,
brown and white. Emily, whose mother renovates and sells houses, grew up immersed in
interiors and developed a penchant for a sleek,
modern aesthetic. When it came time to make
decisions, she knew what she liked – and what
didn’t make the cut.
“I knew right away that I wanted dark
hardwood floors,” she said.
The biggest hurdle was designing a kitchen
that would be conducive to both entertaining
guests and keeping an eye on two rambunctious boys.
Open shelving and handmade-tile walls
create a chic but approachable feel in a space
that hosts both snack time and cocktail hour.
And one of the home’s most unique furnishings, a vintage oven passed down from Emily’s
mother, anchors the space.
“It was just sitting in storage for like 10 years
in Montana,” she said. “When my mom told me
we could have it, I couldn’t pass that up.”
Other rooms boast one-of-a-kind fur­
niture and original artwork. Armed with a
carefully curated collection accumulated over
time, including an Eames chair purchased in
New York, flea-market finds from her college
years and hand-me-down chairs from her
The move to Oxford was not only the first time the Blounts had bought a house; it was their first opportunity to own a large
bed. Emily commissioned California-based furniture designer Charles Hollis Jones to construct the brass and Lucite frame.
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grandparents, the house is an eclectic mix of
high and low end, but no furnishings are too
precious for their two sons. The leather couches
have endured sticky hands, and marble countertops make it easy to wipe up spills.
“I knew we were going to be here a long
time,” she said. “The home will continue to
change.”
The dichotomy of new items alongside
family heirlooms, such as a Lucite and brass
four-poster bed juxtaposed against a wooden
bunny carved by her late father, aligns with
Emily’s concept for the home’s evolving
scheme.
“I knew I had all this stuff we’d accumulated from our families, each with its own
story,” she said. “It was important to me to use
it, even if incorporating each piece changed the
original vision of the home.”
Becky Taylor,REALTOR
Let my
•Buying
•Selling
•Investments
experience
work for
you!
Looking for your dream home or a weekend condo? Oxford is the place to be.
Let Becky use her real estate experience to help you with all your property needs.
Give her a call today.
(662) 544-2146 I www.cmrehomes.com
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Landscape architects Jenny Long and Damian Augsberger of the Mississippi-based Community Design Project helped the Blounts create a yard with greenery that is easy to maintain.
There is also plenty of room to entertain and for the children to play. A backyard vegetable and herb garden is easily accessible from the kitchen, and Emily likes to cook with its bounty.
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