Pam Litchford had a vision in her mind of the look she wanted for her home, but actually creating that look proved to be a bit more of a challenge. To help make her dream home become a reality, Pam and her husband Daniel turned to Westend Interior Design owner Evon Kirkland McAngus.
Daniel is the owner of Pineapple Homes and actually developed their neighborhood and built their house, as well as most of the other homes on their street in the Arden Park comnunity in Blythewood’s Longcreek Plantation. The Litchfords have been in their house for three years and retained Evon’s services to help with the interior design.
“I had an idea of how I wanted the home to look, but it got to the point in the building process where it was time to choose floor stain, wall colors, tile and so many other fairly permanent decisions. It became overwhelming. I hoped that we could create a home that would be visually pleasing to both of us, but we needed someone to help bring it all together,” Pam says.
So Pam decided to pay a visit to Evon’s showroom. “I just decided one day to get in my car and drive to West Columbia. I walked into the showroom and immediately asked if I could just move in there,” she laughs. “My biggest regret is that we didn’t get with Evon earlier.”
While she can’t name a specific style of design that she prefers, Pam describes her taste as a mix of traditional and modern. “I am drawn to a classic elegance but with a dash of glitz. My neighbors all say that I am a bit modern. What makes me smile is when friends walk in the front door and immediately comment on how peaceful it feels to be here,” she says. “I love clean lines, fabrics that feel good and all shades of ocean colors.”
Daniel, however, has a preference for earth tones, and he credits Evon for helping to bridge the gap between their tastes. “We incorporated darker colors for contrast in some rooms, including darker wood floors and stained window blinds. The interior doors are also painted a darker shade.”
Throughout the house, the blend of color and warmer tones is apparent. The large kitchen features dual ovens along with a professional cook top. The cabinetry is cream colored, while the island is painted Sherwin Williams’ Hi Tech Black and topped with Venetian Gold granite. The island offers plenty of food prep area along with storage space and a seated bar. A ceramic tile backsplash from Walker Zanger provides an interesting contrast behind the stove and sink, while the refrigerator is disguised to appear as part of the cabinetry.
The kitchen, along with the adjoining family and breakfast rooms, creates a large open area that is perfect for entertaining. “This space has worked out great,” says Daniel. “It’s perfect for impromptu guests.” A butler’s pantry helps provide additional space for setting out trays of hors d’oeuvres. “We are part of a supper club and every few months we host the group,” says Pam. “I feel like I’m connected if I’m in the kitchen and everyone is relaxing in the family room or on the back porch and courtyard. The house really flows well.”
Pam attributes one of her favorite décor pieces in the house to former “Today” show co-anchor Meredith Vieira. “I saw a set of sconce lights mounted on either side of her kitchen sink in a magazine article about her house,” recalls Pam. “I thought it was a genius idea. It adds such a warm, cozy light at night and is a pretty accent during the day.”
Daniel incorporated some unique features into the construction of the house as well. Keeping things tidy with three kids can often be a challenge, so when the kids come home from school or playing, they each have their own cubby area at the rear entrance of the house.
The master bath provides several his and her features. A large walk-in shower located between his and her walk-in closets allows them each to use their closet areas as dressing rooms. In the common area are separate sinks, and Kohler’s deepest cast iron soaking tub is undermounted and surrounded by sandstone with glass mosaic tiles in shimmering, watery colors of blue. “I really am a blue kind of girl,” laughs Pam. A favorite feature of the master bath is his and her water closets. The house also features one bathroom for each of the four upstairs bedrooms, as well as two half baths.
Daniel lays claim to what is perhaps the most interesting feature in the house – a hidden entry disguised as a bookcase in his study. “The kids really have fun with this,” Daniel says. The bookcase moves like a pocket door and, when tucked back, leads into the master closet.
The mahogany used to build the panels and bookcases in Daniel’s study also was used to build a bed with drawers underneath for their son. Cypress beadboard gives their son’s room a more boyish charm. Their daughters’ rooms are stylish; one features a clean lined French style wrought iron bed complete with miniature chandelier hung from the center, while the other has twin beds with wall mounted canopies and striped silk fabric that cascades to the floor.
Evon was able to convince Pam to take a step out of her comfort zone with some of the colors selected for the house. They painted Pam’s office off of the kitchen and the mud room half bath a bright turquoise color called Drizzle. It’s a spectacular contrast next to to the dark brown kitchen wall. The foyer, dining room and master bedroom provide a soothing feel with a Historic Carolina Lowcountry color by Duron named Coffered Green. The color can appear to be light blue one minute and look green the next.
The living room and dining room also offer interesting architectural touches with raised panel trim on the stairwell and on the moulding throughout the rooms. Large wood panels painted in a Sherwin Williams trim shade named Import Ivory cover one dining room wall. “When you have unique trim you don’t need to put as much on the walls,” says Pam.
“This house has great bones,” adds Pam. “The craftsmanship makes the home feel old yet it also feels contemporary. We achieved our goal of creating a comfortable and functional home for our family. Working with Evon enabled us to not make costly mistakes. She has the experience and eye for design that I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and the result is that we love our home.”
