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A Modern Renaissance

When a fire gave him free rein to develop his vision, remodeler Randy Sudderth’s love of texture, eye for color and willingness to transform a space from the ground up resulted in a mid-century modern masterpiece.

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If every home tells a story, the Nichols Hills home of Randy Sudderth could convey an epic account of triumph over tragedy. For Sudderth, owner of Sudderth Design, this is a central theme to many of the homes he has transformed throughout his career as a professional remodeler.

Before Sudderth purchased the home, the California Ranch house sat vacant following a fire that destroyed much of the structure. Sudderth recalls having been familiar with the house from the outside, and when the opportunity to purchase the property became available he was intrigued by the prospect of starting almost from square one.

Perhaps the most dramatic acquisition of space came as a result of extending the back of the home by about 10 feet, transforming a narrow galley kitchen into a spacious, illuminated area with an expansive marbled island in the center. The added space also transformed a small breakfast area into an inviting sitting room, perfect for catching up on the news with the morning paper or on the flat-screen television that sits opposite a cozy pair of oversized velvet chairs.

Sudderth loved the effect of the home’s Galvalume metal roofing so much that he brought some of the material inside and began to imagine what it might look like as a fireplace surround. The remarkable result has a decidedly modern flavor.

For Sudderth, a native Oklahoman who has been remodeling and reselling homes his entire adult life, design inspiration often occurs organically, as part of the remodeling or construction process. He demonstrates a keen eye for color, design and use of space at every turn. With the freedom to reconsider doorways, room perimeters and other areas of the home from which he could optimize space and function, he has made several excellent tradeoffs.

“I’m not exactly sure what kind of name to give the design of this house,” Sudderth admits. “I usually refer to it as midcentury modern.”

Some elements of the home, which had been well maintained and finely appointed before the fire, remained workable, like the oak flooring that Renaissance Hardwood Floors stripped and re-stained to a lighter finish than the original.

Emerging from Sudderth’s design is a genuine appreciation for texture. Deep pile area rugs, velvet and leather furnishings, marble tile detailing on bathroom walls and even gravel edging in the driveway suggest that Sudderth’s home provides a very tactile experience. “I do love texture,” Sudderth says. “A lot of the furniture and accessories in here are things I’ve had for years. They all just seemed to come together in this house.”

As with each property he buys and remodels, Sudderth has been involved in each phase of the renovation process. Remarkably, he doesn’t draw blueprints or floor plans. Instead, he relies on his gut to tell his direction, designing exclusively for himself – and not for a particular client. “The cool thing about doing your own house is you can do whatever you want. You can try different things,” he says. “You can’t do that when you’re working exclusively with one client,” he adds, noting that, when he has transformed a space, he expects to sell it and move to the next project.

Both of the home’s bathrooms glisten with marble detailing. The main bathroom is stunningly appointed with floor-to-ceiling deep chocolate marble. The master bath, designed with Carrera marble, represents another remodel of the original floor plan, incorporating the square footage from the original master closet to create a more spacious room with ample storage.

“In every case, I invest my own money to take a house to the next level, so I want to get it right,” he notes.

Mission accomplished.

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