TAILOR
MADE
a refined masculine vibe and Custom
details fill the interiors of a Seattle
home that blends elegance with ease.
written by brittany mcguire / photography by aaron leitz
interior design / jules thomas, maker agent
home builder / klaus toth, toth construction
luxe interiors + design / 307
A striking Damian Jones coffee table,
from Blackman Cruz in Los Angeles, and
Jean de Merry chairs rest on a Holland &
Sherry carpet in the living room. Designer
Jules Thomas conceived the bronze-andnickel fireplace surround, fabricated by
Metal Solutions. The cast-glass wall was
produced by Peter David Studio.
A
fter living in a traditional Tudor-style
residence, a retired Seattle businessman
was ready for another approach. “I wanted
a home that was different and reflected a
new phase of my life,” he says. So, he turned
to designer Jules Thomas to fashion this next phase.
“I saw this spark in him—a Southerner’s ease mixed
with corporate toughness—and decided to push the
envelope,” she explains. “He trusted me to move forward
with a design that was new to him.” Looking beyond
the dated oak cabinetry, pink marble and Sheetrock
railings, Thomas “envisioned a masculine home with a
soft edge,” she says. “I wanted to bring a freshness to
the combination but with a sense of history as well.” The
new spaces would conjure a 1930s Parisian gentlemen’s
smoking club—mixing the relaxed sophistication of the
Ritz Paris’ Bar Hemingway with a vibe that evokes the
effortless ease of actor Jack Nicholson.
Getting that Paris-in-Seattle feel required an extensive
undertaking on the part of both Thomas, who worked
with Alev Seymen, a former project manager at Castanes
Architects, for the drawings, and builder Klaus Toth. For
Toth’s part, he ensured that every detail—from the living
room’s dramatic custom fireplace to a tailored staircase
railing near the entry—was installed with the utmost care.
“The quality of the finishes was essential to this project,”
says Toth, who worked on the home with superintendent
Chris Nason. In the combined living-dining room, for
instance, the sterling-silver-leaf ceiling, which now
perfectly aligns with black plaster walls, was a challenge
that required careful engineering. “There are points of
connection where different materials come together,” Toth
says. For example, high-gloss wood-panel walls, black
hardwood floors, mirrored walls with glass moldings, Italian
plaster surfaces, white veined marble, and full-height
tile and stone wall finishes all make an appearance in
the home. “A lot of thought was spent on those unions:
308 / luxe interiors + design
In the entry, a Christian Liaigre
console sits on fumed black-oak
floors by EBHF, while a Michael
Gregory painting from Gail Severn
Gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, hangs
on the wall. An Alison Berger
Glassworks pendant from Jennifer
West coordinates with the door by
Delta Door supplied through Little
Pigs Distributing.
“I thought
it would be
elegant yet
understated to
play the gray
light off a
black palette.”
-Jules Thomas
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Gregorius Pineo tables from Kelly Forslund
pair with Christian Liaigre chairs from Susan
Mills Showroom and a custom banquette in
the dining room. A custom Holland & Sherry
carpet runs underfoot. Builder Klaus Toth
seamlessly executed the complex finishes
and details throughout the house.
luxe interiors + design / 313
Peter Waite’s acrylic on panels,
Duomo, from Winston Wächter Fine
Art makes a dramatic statement
near the dining room. A Christian
Liaigre bench provides a spot
to perch underneath the piece,
while a sconce from Alison Berger
Glassworks lights the hall beyond.
what the material choices would be and how they’d play
together,” he says. “Jules also wanted to celebrate the light
and how it reflects off these different finishes.”
For the color palette, Thomas chose a black backdrop
punctuated by metallics and white. “I thought it would be
elegant yet understated, like Seattle, to play the gray light
off a black palette in a variety of finishes from muted steel
and mohair to lacquered walls,” she says. “I let the light
in the spaces dominate over the idea of a color scheme.
It’s really the absence of color in favor of enhancing the
natural light.” To capture the natural brightness and to
better match the scale of the house, the designer raised
the doors and ceilings—those doors and windows will
frame the gardens that are currently being designed
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by landscape architect Kenneth Philp. Thomas then
considered the custom staircase, which features a bronze
railing and blackened-steel posts. The black hue of the
plaster walls became a beautiful canvas for an extensive
art collection that includes Peter Waite’s large acrylic on
panels that hangs in the dining room. “My client picked
pieces he really loved,” says Thomas, who helped the
homeowner curate the various works.
The graphic yet luminous palette well serves the
luxurious surfaces. “Each finish or surface in this home
was part of a layer cake,” Toth says. “There were so many
materials to consider and finishes laid on top of each other
that create a unified look.” Those layered elements that
Thomas chose include the dining room’s black plaster
A Jean de Merry sconce illuminates
a wall in the dining room. Thomas
tapped the skills of Seley Painting
Services for the custom paint and
lacquer finishes throughout the
house and called upon the talents
of Studio C for the plaster, stenciling
and sgraffito work, as well as the
silver-leaf ceilings.
Judith Kindler’s It’s The Law
punctuates the den, which is open
to the kitchen. A Jiun Ho sectional
from Trammell-Gagné is placed with
a tufted George Smith ottoman from
The Dixon Group. The bronze Metal
Solutions mirror features a hidden
television; Christian Liaigre floor
lamps and a Promemoria bench
complete the vignette.
Below left: An Alison Berger Glassworks sconce
shines a light in the hallway, and at the far end,
a Jack Spencer photograph from Gail Severn
Gallery hangs on the wall. The custom Holland
& Sherry carpet adds contrast.
Below right: The custom bronze staircase railing
with blackened-steel posts was conceived by
Thomas and produced by Metal Solutions. The
Judith Kindler work at the top of the stairs was
purchased from Gail Severn Gallery.
luxe interiors + design / 317
Lacquered cabinets from Seattle
Cabinet & Design, featuring inlaid
bronze-and-nickel trim by Metal
Solutions and marble countertops
from Architectural Stone Werkes,
coordinate with a custom Ann
Sacks backsplash in the kitchen.
Appliances through Albert Lee
Appliance and a Waterworks faucet
offer shiny counterpoints. Thomas
designed the runner in collaboration
with Holland & Sherry.
walls, which bestow a traditional but fresh patina; the
entry hall’s custom paneling that plays off the livingdining room ceiling; metalwork including doorknobs, floor
grates and the master bathroom’s console legs; and the
living room’s hand-cast glass mirror wall. “It all comes
together and is beautifully strong but soft at the same
time,” Thomas says. In the living room, a brass coffee
table and sinewy leather armchairs rest on a custom
silk-and-cashmere rug, and the dining room’s cozy tufted
banquette effortlessly pairs with bespoke cabinets and
two tables for dining flexibility. “Every detail plays off
each other seamlessly,” she says. Meticulous details can
also be found in the kitchen, where custom lacquered
cabinets with inlaid bronze-and-nickel trim balance the
creamy marble countertops etched with a linear motif.
“There’s so much depth to this project and blending
of finishes that’s very cool,” Toth says.
The renovated abode now reflects Thomas’
client perfectly. “A house has to really belong to its
homeowner in every way, like a custom-tailored suit,”
she says. And the personality of the owner is truly
displayed in each area of his house. “If you want a home
that’s a personal reflection, a designer with a critical eye
is key,” he says. “I love how the dark walls and floors
add warmth to the house and reflect light. The finished
product is absolutely magnificent.”
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Left: In the master bathroom,
cabinets designed by Thomas
and fabricated by Seattle Cabinet
& Design sandwich a Devon &
Devon vanity purchased through
Cabochon Surfaces & Fixtures in
La Jolla, California, which rests on
flooring from Ann Sacks. Thomas
also conceived the mirrors fabricated
by Metal Solutions.
Opposite: The Alex bed by Kerry
Joyce for Dessin Fournir stands on a
custom hair-on-hide Kyle Bunting rug
from Trammell-Gagné in the master
bedroom. A work by Ġoxwa from
Axelle Fine Arts Galerie in New York
hovers above antique Biedermeier
stools purchased from an auction;
a gold-framed Russian work circa
1920 marks the fireplace.
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