BY CAITLIN WHEELER
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ABIGAIL JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Terryl Hansen has a bourbon collection; Terry Hansen loves reading a good mystery; and they both enjoy inviting friends over for cocktails and conversation. They imagined adding a room to their home that would encompass all of these interests. “We wanted a ‘bourbon room’,” says Terry.
They turned to Kate Haynes of Noble Studio to manifest their vision.
Haynes had recently updated the Hansens’ kitchen as well as brightening their entryway and family room in shades of white. “It was like magic,” notes Terry of the transformation, “the way those spaces expanded with the white paint.”
Now it was time to redo the Hansens’ living room, a small space off the entryway. “It was just … yuck,” says Terry. Painted a ’90s-era burgundy, the room looked as conventional as a dentist’s waiting room, with stiff wing chairs and an undersized, uninviting sofa. “I would walk past without looking in,” Terry sighs. “We never wanted to sit in there.”
Rethinking the Space
Haynes was delighted with both the “bourbon room” concept and the chance to go dark and moody, and she embraced the 12’ by 14’ limitation as part of the project’s unique appeal. “It is really just a cased opening with a big window—an alcove off the foyer; a little side nook,” says Haynes. Having worked with architects and builders for a decade before starting her own firm, Haynes approaches renovation from an architectural viewpoint, immediately grasping the transformative possibilities of a space.
Here, she began by reducing the room’s small footprint even further, installing built-in cabinets and shelves along the entire width and height of one wall. “I knew the room wouldn’t feel oppressive,” says Haynes. “It has two open sides—one a window, the other an entry to the foyer—and it has a lovely high ceiling, which allows plenty of vertical breathing room, as well as a hint of European elegance.”
Embracing Color
The room’s petite dimensions combine with the symmetry of the simple cabinets to make the room feel soothing. To add to this vibe, Terry chose what Haynes calls a “gorgeous dark green color.”
Haynes went monochromatic, painting everything the same deep green: walls, trim, cabinets, and even the ceiling. Per Terry’s request, they added luxurious green velvet drapes that could completely enclose the room on a dark night or dreary day. The result feels sheltering, but the rich tone also provides a gloss of style and, because dark colors tend to recede from the viewer, adds depth to the room.
Layering on the Style
While Noble Studio does not have a signature “look,” they do have a signature process. “Timeless design is all about contrast, balance and layers—lots of layers,” Haynes says. She planned to balance the cozy intimacy of the room with a sense of oversized drama, packing it with personality and style. With the moody backdrop in place, Haynes began layering.
First, to up the glamour quotient, Haynes selected gleaming brass starburst-shaped pull rings for the cabinets, an Art Deco overhead light fixture in matching brass, and an oversized standing mirror with a classic architectural brass frame. Each piece provides not only a dash of golden luxe, but also a source of reflected light.
“The light fixture is unique and stunning,” says Terry. “That unexpected slice of gold emphasizes the high ceiling and really adds to the room’s elegance.”
Next, Haynes organized the furniture to create a focal point. The team chose four chairs from Coley Home, a local custom furniture company. The chairs are on the small side—a perfect fit in the tight space. “They’re so pretty,” says Terry, “and they swivel!” To make them even prettier, Haynes and Terry had them upholstered in a dark green oversized floral print. The flowers provide a terrific contrast to the “British gentleman’s club” vibe.
Haynes fit the chairs snugly around a showstopping table—showstopping because of its classical simplicity: a round white plinth with the fluted edges of an ancient Greek column. Its round shape facilitates closeness, and its lack of hard edges makes the tight space easily navigable. The table is the center of the room and establishes its purpose: a place for cozy, comfortable reading in the evenings, and the promise of intimate conversation with friends.
The coffee table, four chairs and two side tables take up a lot of visual space, but in a comfortable way. “When a room is filled with all the right
Character Without Clutter
For Haynes, the built-in bookshelves are a key design element. The middle section has a marble backsplash and houses the bourbon bar, replete with neatly positioned cocktail glasses and handsome bottles of various sizes and shapes, filled with golden-brown liquors.
At first glance the room suggests British-inspired stately charm, but a closer look reveals a hint of the Wild West. Terry grew up on a ranch in Montana, and she and Terryl lived there for 30 years before moving to Raleigh. “We absolutely love Raleigh,” says Terry, “but I will always have a soft spot for that Western lifestyle.”
Haynes captured this affection with details on the bookshelf. A print of a rodeo rider sits in the place of honor above the bar. “My brother used to ride rodeo,” says Terry, “and that print always makes me think of him.” She also appreciates other bits of equestrian style: the horse head bookend and the brass detailing, as well as the hide rug and leather cocktail tray.
“We are always going for contrast and balance,” says Haynes. Here, she paired leather and flowers, dark paint and bright brass, a rustic hide rug and an elegant sleek mirror. “This kind of tension and balance creates a sense of drama, of a story unfolding,” she explains. “It really elevates everyday life.”
Avoiding a Trendy Look
Haynes says that everything can feel very one-note in the current world of online design. “Trends and ideas spread at lightning speed, and are consumed and rejected before they’re even fully explored,” she notes. She likes layering styles and mixing period pieces to help a space avoid looking quickly dated. “Don’t lean too much on any one look,” she suggests. “Be open to historical influences as well as present-day inspiration. We always take cues from the context of our clients’ lives and loves.”
This room is filled with unexpected design moments, but the most inspired and striking is the large black and white print of a young Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger waiting together in a first-class train car. The two stars radiate ’60s glam with an undercurrent of excitement, with their eyes locked and Jagger leaning forward. These are interesting, important people, and they are going somewhere interesting and important. The photo has nothing to do with anything else in the room or with the Hansens, who are not “huge Beatles fans”—and yet it’s perfect. “There’s something about the print that made me think of Terry,” says Haynes, “It has this great sense of mystery and fun, just like she does.” The photo puts the small room in motion, across time, on a train, at the beginning of a journey.
“It’s like she added a whole new room onto our house—space we just didn’t have before,” says Terry. “It’s perfect.”
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