Designer Rafael De Cardenas Has Said That A Home Should Be A Distillation Of Your Interests, Of Who You Really Are. The Jansen family’s residence is a wonderful expression of that concept, evident from the moment you pull up in their driveway; enormous cobalt blue doors adorned with golden lions’ heads are your first introduction to the unique style of the home that lies behind them.
Beth and Jeremiah Jansen, along with their two sons, Wesley and Ewan, moved into the home in May of 2013, after purchasing it four years ago. Although they had planned on doing significant remodeling, it became obvious once they began that their plans would require more intensive changes than were feasible, and so the existing house was torn down and rebuilt. Beth says wryly, “That was not the original plan.”
It was more than they had initially bargained for, but the effort expended to realize the full potential of their design vision – a collaborative venture between the Jansens, builders Candelaria Foster and architectural consultants Alisa Weatherman and Tanner Priddy – has resulted in a marvel of both structure and style that combines the best of all worlds; open space that showcases bold architectural detail segues seamlessly into more intimate spots for family time and entertaining, with imaginative use of color and texture throughout.
Beth, a portrait photographer, and Jeremiah, a radiologist, joke that they both do the same thing – take images of people – only to different degrees. This playful but practical outlook is reflected in their approach to constructing the décor in their home; an inner “body” that consists of strong, simple basics like industrial steel beams and polished concrete floors, clothed with bright, artistic furnishings that highlight its best features.
“I think this house is very organic-industrial in its bones,” Beth says, “but the details provide a feminine touch. Hard surfaces surrounded by color and warmth.”
In addition to functionality – a must for any family with young children – one of the Jansens’ foremost desires for their home is for it to be comfortable, and a reflection of their eclectic tastes, an appreciation of diverse art styles being chief among those.
“Most design styles have ‘rules,’” says Beth. “I just like art. Art is comprised of a variety of media, textures and colors … there’s no reason you can’t do that with your house as well.”
The continuing growth and change of art as a concept and pursuit also figures into the family’s design philosophy, an openness Beth readily acknowledges. “I’m not married to everything here. If we don’t like it, we change it.”
“Our house is just a huge, evolving piece of art.”
