In the three years that Carter and Brice McEntire have lived in their Kings Grant home, their goal has been to make it fit the style they desire while keeping it family-friendly at the same time. With the help of their designer, Brandon Shives of Brandon Davidson Interiors, they’ve managed to create an atmosphere that hits the mark on both points.
Brice and Carter McEntire with Cameron, 10 months, and Lawson, 3.
Choosing to work with Brandon was a no-brainer for the McEntires. Carter had been friends with her since middle school. “I actually used to nudge her to start her own business,” he recalls. Brandon also had helped Carter decorate his bachelor home, and when he and Brice became engaged, he called on Brandon again to help decorate what would be their first house as a couple.
A six-month engagement meant there was no time to waste, since Carter and Brice wanted the house to be ready when they returned from their honeymoon. “It was going to be an interesting challenge to merge the two households,” says Brandon, “so for the most part we really started from scratch.”
During the short time they had for planning, Brandon and Brice, with some input from Carter, worked to choose colors, fabrics and accessories. They designed the window treatments, started painting and made decisions on where to place each piece. Yet nothing was actually moved in until the couple left for the honeymoon.
What a surprise they had upon their return. “When we got home, everything was in place,” says Carter. “It’s as close as you can get to bringing your bride to her new home and carrying her across the threshold.” He beams as he recalls the memory.
Fortunately, because Brandon and Brice planned, it was easy to make just a few small adjustments when the family began to grow with the addition of their two beautiful daughters, Lawson, 3, and Cameron, 10 months. “We chose furnishings that have rounded corners rather than sharp edges,” says Brice, “and neutral fabrics that wouldn’t show stains.” “And we used a lot of fabric shield,” adds Brandon.
The living room is painted Stratford Blue, including the built-in bookcases and television armoire along with the mantel. Brandon recommended adding a chocolate glaze to offset these furnishings from the walls and provide some depth.
She also suggested they paint the vaulted ceiling, originally painted the same as the walls, a shade of white to help open up the room. The brushed cotton window treatments in various tones of browns and creams hang from rods balanced from the two-story arched windows.
“I knew that I didn’t want bright colors,” says Brice. “I wanted soothing colors that could be used with different fabrics. Most of this house was blues and deep dark reds. I was looking for something fresh and young. I wanted a traditional feel with a modern twist.”
When I come into the kitchen in the morning now, I’m so happy. It’s so bright and cheery.- Brice McEntire
Just last year, the McEntires remodeled their kitchen, turning dark cherry cabinets into a more European style using a cream paint and finished with a glaze. They also added a built-in for the wine fridge to create a cleaner look.
New appliances helped modernize the kitchen, along with pull-out drawers in the cabinets, new hardware and a tumbled tile and glass mosaic backsplash along one wall to replace a granite backsplash. “When I come into the kitchen in the morning now, I’m so happy,” says Brice. “It’s so bright and cheery.”
The McEntires remodeled their kitchen, turning dark cherry cabinets into a more European style using a cream paint and finished with a glaze. They also added a built-in for the wine fridge to create a cleaner look. New appliances helped modernize the kitchen, along with pull-out drawers in the cabinets, new hardware and a tumbled tile and glass mosaic backsplash along one wall to replace a granite backsplash.
The breakfast room chandelier is an interesting focal point. Designed by Murray Feiss, the drum shade with a silver patina finish adds a contemporary feel to the more traditional furnishings of the room.
The dining room furniture, including the table, chairs and china cabinet, were Carter’s original pieces. The room was updated with metallic damask wallpaper and silver silk voile window treatments, trimmed in a gathered grosgrain ribbon, that hang from distressed rods.
The master bedroom features a poster bed with a matelasse coverlet. “When you have kids, you want things that are easy to take care of,” says Brandon. The Masland carpet is a low-pile nylon that allows spilled beverages to bead for quick clean up. The fabrics on the pillow shams, throw pillows and window treatments add color and pattern but still keep a serene, soothing feeling.
The master bedroom has a serene, soothing feeling.
To update the master bath, Brice chose new European wallpaper and three-armed metal light fixtures, even adding a beveled frame around the mirrors. On one side of the garden tub is a large walk-in tiled shower, and on the other is the water closet, whose frosted glass door panes offer privacy while still allowing light to shine into the room.
The girls’ rooms were redone to allow for transition as they grow. A queen-sized headboard serves as the back of a daybed and will eventually convert to Lawson’s “big girl bed.”
I was looking for something fresh and young. I wanted a traditional feel with a modern twist. – Brice McEntire
For a whimsical touch, Brice commissioned local artist Sally McFarland Holland to add flowers, dragonflies and butterflies to the chest of drawers to complement the large flower drawer pulls. Lawson’s pink stuffed monkey served as Sally’s model for a friendly monkey swinging on a vine on the soft green walls.
A queen-sized headboard serves as the back of a daybed and will eventually convert to Lawson McEntire’s “big girl bed.” Flowers, dragonflies and butterflies create a whimsical touch.
Carter even has his own retreat upstairs with furnishings that were his prior to getting married – leather chairs and a matching couch that add richness to the room. “So far I’ve been able to avoid the pressure to make this into a playroom for the girls,” he laughs.
Even though Brandon had developed a design style with Carter before the wedding, Brice has enjoyed the opportunity to develop her own style through Brandon’s support. “I came to this house originally wondering what to do. I was working, planning a wedding and wanted to have it done in six months – it was a challenge!” she says.
“Working with a designer allowed me to help narrow my choices down to what I really wanted.”
Carter and Brice both agree that it made a difference to have a plan in place for their designs, and they’re still working toward that. “It’s a work in progress,” says Brice.
