University Park Transitional from William S. Briggs and Oxbridge Custom Homes

 

Designing a house is lot like writing music, and architects bear a close relationship to composers. William S. Briggs designed this stunning University Park transitional at 3200 Purdue Avenue, our Inwood National Bank Home of the Week, with these thoughts in mind.

“Music is moving blocks of space around,” Briggs said. “You design to lead someone through the home, just as you would want a piece of music to unfold. You lead up to the crescendo. We’re interested in providing surprise, and a spatial quality that you just don’t get unless you think hard about how spaces are composed in relationship to one another. You want to live in a composed way and not a random way.”

Briggs is known for his thoughtful use of space and creating classic timeless homes. He recently completed this 5,675-square-foot home with Oxbridge Custom Homes.

“It’s the perfect balance of form and function,” listing agent Amy Detwiler of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s said. “Oxbridge uses the finest materials in their construction from the stone exterior to the beautiful hardware.”

The most obvious expectation when you enter a new home is a grand staircase. This staircase, however, is one of those refreshing surprises Briggs enjoys.

“The obvious rote thing you see it that grand staircase,” Briggs said. “The reality is the staircase is where the most private part of the house connects to the most public. We wanted to tuck it away to where it’s still grand, but that you really know it’s private. It piques your curiosity to see the curve and the helix of the stair coming up to your left. You enter the house and there is a calm feeling. The drama comes when you get to the stair and then pass it. When you finally get to the family room, it’s light and full of air. You’ve gone through a series of calm spaces and then you walk into that room and the house really opens up dramatically.”

It’s not surprising this is Briggs favorite area in the house.“It’s a serene and positive space,” he said.

Interior designer Carrie Hatfield was instrumental in the finish out on the five-bedroom, five-full-and-two-half-bath home. There are some cleverly thought out nods to tradition, like the entry hardwoods laid in a herringbone pattern. We think her light fixture selections are particularly inspired.

Not only is this home in the coveted Highland Park school district, but it also sits on a corner lot and has a three-car garage — fairly unusual for the Park Cities. It’s also elevator ready and a pool rendering has thoughtfully been drawn up.

Detwiler listed the home on Monday for $2.699 million. The open house is coming up this weekend, so we suggest you give Robert Poe at Inwood National Bank a call. Once you see this University Park transitional, it’s going to be like that piece of music that that won’t leave your head. This house won’t leave your heart. Let it sing to you in person at the open house on Sunday, Feb. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Karen is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years. She’s been a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com