Highly energetic, creative and passionate, Amie and Randy Dickey work hard and play hard, and their newly decorated Zen-like retreat is the perfect place for both relaxing and entertaining. Amie and Randy stumbled upon their dream home when they weren’t even in the market for a new house. Six years ago, the self-described workaholic couple followed the advice of a friend and visited a new 5,500 square foot home located on a quiet cul de sac in an upscale neighborhood and immediately knew they had to have it.
“We weren’t prepared to buy a house at the time,” says Randy, “but we knew if we didn’t find a way to make it work, we’d be kicking ourselves later.” Now, with the help of designer Evon Kirkland of Evon Kirkland Interiors, they have transformed the home into an elegant but relaxing showplace, perfect for entertaining, working or just enjoying treasured free time with Macie, their 9-year-old daughter, and their three dogs.
The traditional-style brick home exudes a sense of calm, inspired in part by symmetrical living room furniture placement and a soothing turquoise and citron color palette. Although it is now Amie’s favorite room of the house, the living room presented a design challenge at the outset because of its oblong shape. Evon and Alisa Autterson, senior designer, helped the Dickeys repurpose the L-shaped sofa they had originally bought, replacing it with two matching sofas positioned across from each other and perpendicular to the fireplace and television.
“We wanted to create a glamorous entertaining space that was elegant but still casual enough that the family felt comfortable hanging out there,” says Evon. Once they found the right scale for the furniture and placed it around a large square cocktail table/ottoman to encourage conversation, they moved on to color choices.
The wall covering is a neutral textured grass cloth, and its natural feel is echoed in the seagrass rug and the linen-colored upholstery on the sofas and club chairs. A pair of Asian-style stools placed in front of the fireplace adds even more seating and contributes to the Zen-like atmosphere of the main living space.
Because Amie wanted color in the room, Evon completed the look with pops of turquoise and citron in the throw pillows, art and, most notably, on the striking full-length color-blocked silk window treatments that flank the doors opening onto the screened porch.
The dark stained heavy sliding glass doors are divided into horizontal panes, contributing to the home’s distinctly Asian feel. Through these doors, an expansive brick-floored screened porch furnished with flax-colored upholstered wicker and topped with a vaulted ceiling provides a transition between the indoor and outdoor living spaces. The porch is where Amie, who owns the ACX Cheerleading Training Centers with Randy, often works on her laptop computer. The sounds of an outdoor fountain splashing into a koi pond create a tranquil environment for both working and entertaining.
Adjacent to the living room, adding to the home’s generous entertainment space, is a sizable formal dining room that Evon is currently helping to decorate, playing off the main room’s serene color palette. On the other side of the living room is a music room where Randy, who mixes music both professionally and for fun, often plays the couple’s baby grand piano.
The spacious master bedroom suite is also located on the ground floor and continues the calming Asian influences found throughout the house. In addition to a king-sized bed and comfortable sitting area, the suite boasts a room-sized walk in closet that would be any woman’s dream. Behind a set of sliding doors made of dark wood and textured-glass reminiscent of a Chinese screen is a spa-like bathroom that provides the ultimate setting for relaxation, complete with rectangular vessel sinks and pebble tile floors.
The heart of the home is the kitchen, where a contemporary wood and glass dining table is positioned beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the fountain and koi pond. Rich with texture, the sizable modern kitchen has a porcelain slate floor and a honed and leathered granite center island as well as a textured, grass cloth wall covering. Amie is quick to admit that Randy is the cook in the family; however, he prefers to do his cooking in the enormous outdoor kitchen located in the luxurious poolside entertainment space.
Definitely the showpiece of the home, the back yard is dominated by a two-story open pavilion with a pagoda style roof. The pavilion houses a fully equipped outdoor kitchen that includes a professional grill, sink, refrigerator, ice maker, outdoor speakers and a heat lamp, together with ample cooking space.
An avid Gamecock fan, Randy loves to entertain outside during away games. “I could just stay out here and cook all day,” Randy enthuses. “I cook burgers, brats, ribs, wings, chicken … you name it.” And when the food is ready, there are two separate dining tables positioned around the pool and kitchen, one of them nestled next to a 12-foot, table-level fireplace set into the adjacent wall, which is often commandeered by Macie and her friends for marshmallow roasting.
Alongside the kitchen pavilion is a lovely angular pool that Amie and Randy designed themselves on a piece of scrap paper. On one end of the pool is a spa, and on the other is an umbrella-covered splash area that doubles as a place for adults to tan and stay cool. A band of light colored travertine surrounds the pool, and slate stepping-stones across the water appear to float on its surface. The long side of the pool has a built-in underwater bench from which family and guests can watch the big screen television hanging from the pavilion’s back wall.
Out here, Macie plays on her trampoline and practices her cheerleading moves while her parents entertain and unwind. Amie and Randy agree that it is great to have a home where their daughter’s friends love to gather. “That way we know where she is at all times,” they laugh.
“This will be our home at least until Macie goes to college,” Amie predicts. And who knows? With all the lovely amenities inside and out, the Dickeys’ relaxing and beautiful home might also be a great place to retire.
