HOME DESIGN: A Blank Slate Becomes Rock-Star Sexy – Charlotte Magazine

Jacy Painter Kelly’s client was a single mother of two when she hired the designer to decorate and furnish her new home in Fort Mill. “She was in Indian Land and wanted to build something more permanent and get into the Fort Mill school district,” Painter Kelly says. “She wanted a house that her kids wanted to be in while they were still living at home.” They broke ground on the 6,600-square-foot “transitional-modern” home in January 2023 and finished 10 months later. The result is a family-friendly dwelling with a sleek kitchen, teen lounge, and pool. It also has plenty of grown-up spaces and glamorous touches that Painter Kelly calls “rock-star sexy.”

Kitchen

“From the beginning, she wanted a light and airy kitchen. She wasn’t against black in other spaces, but she didn’t want a dark kitchen. At our first tile meeting, her eyes were drawn to that gold tile. So we thought, Let’s go bold, and let that be that statement. We kept the lighting clean and simple, so it didn’t compete with the tiles, and pulled in some key elements to tie it all together. The barstools are acrylic. We only pulled a few pieces from her old house, and these were some of them. They let that backsplash really sing.”

Cabinetry Moravian / Countertops Carrera Marble /Backsplash Palmetto Tile / Lighting Hudson Valley /Bar Stools Gabby

Living Room

“I drew that fireplace on a piece of paper and handed it to the builder, and he was like, ‘I got it.’ I love the way it turned out. He had his stucco guys do the plaster on it. It’s clean but has some texture to it. The wicker accent chair is another nod to the Florida thing. The art I had commissioned by Kelly O’Neal of Design Legacy, out of Dallas.”

Sofa Four Hands / Accent Chairs Four Hands / Coffee Table Noir/ Wicker Chair Arteriors / Rug Loloi / Chandelier Arteriors

Sitting Area

“When you have teenagers, especially, the kitchen is the heart of the home, so I wanted her to have a place to relax but still be in the kitchen. This space looks out on the pool, so she can sit here and have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. The coffee table ties things back to the kitchen with the brass tones—there’s a touch of glam there.” 

Chairs Arteriors / Coffee Table Arteriors / Floor Lamp Arteriors

Scullery

“We didn’t want this space to be plain, so I darkened things up a bit with the black-honed granite counters but tried to tie it with the kitchen backsplash. Sculleries are everywhere now, and I love it. It’s a great way to hide all your stuff.”

Cabinetry Moravian / Backsplash Palmetto Tile / Pendant Lights Regina Andrew / Chandelier Arteriors

Breakfast Nook

“Since we didn’t have a formal dining room, we made a breakfast nook. We wanted to take advantage of those floor-to-ceiling windows because it looks out onto the pool. That banquette is modular and fits really well in that corner—we got really lucky with that one.” 

Table and Chairs Four Hands / Banquette Four Hands / Pendant Lights Arteriors / Painting Four Hands / Pillows Ryan Studio and House of Cindy

Primary Bathroom

“She wanted the primary suite to be sexy, somewhere she felt like a real grown-up. We went with a really bold accent wall—it’s actually an etched marble tile with veining in it, so it reads like a zebra pattern. The ceramic flooring is two different tones, some glazed and some matte, which helps with slip issues. We didn’t want to go too bold because the wall did enough of that. We kept the rest clean and simple.”

Vanities Moravian / Mirrors Four Hands / Sconces Hudson Valley / Chandelier Arteriors / Tub Majestic Bath / Window Treatments The Shade Store

Powder Room 

“The client is originally from Naples, Florida, so I ran with this bold wallpaper as a little nod to her roots. It flows really well with the rest of the first floor, but it’s still fun and unexpected when you walk in there.” 

Vanity Moravian / Sconces Arteriors / Hardware Worlds Away / Mirror Gabby

Primary Bedroom

“This is a Fifty Shades of Grey bedroom. I knew she wanted it to be rock-star sexy, so we went all in. The nightstands have hair-on-hide panels that are to die for. Since the room is so big, I thought we should do more than just a chair in the corner, so we went with that chaise.” 

Bed Artesia / Nightstands Bernhardt / Rug Loloi / Lamps Regina Andrew / Bedding Pom Pom at Home and CB2 / Chaise Arteriors

Entry

“We went with a really plain banister because the space is so massive. We wanted to keep it clean and not too distracting. The white oak flooring runs the whole house. The style of this house lends itself to a little more modern, so we did all the interior doors black.”

Console Noir / Stool Worlds Away / Mirror Gabby / Lamp Regina Andrew

Parlor

“She had the piano previously, so my goal was to give her a swanky-bar vibe. The ceilings are 16 feet, so we did the same moody green on the walls, trim, and cabinets. They’re all different finishes but the same color. The backsplash is a mirrored tile. This is a place where she can entertain people and have drinks. It’s a sexy spot, and a bit different than the rest of the house.”

Walls Sherwin-Williams’ Shade Grown / Bar Moravian / Backsplash Palmetto Tile Chandelier Robert Abby / Pendant Arteriors

Teen Suite

“I wanted this space to be feminine but kind of muted, so she could grow into it. When I sent that design board over initially, the homeowner said, ‘No, it’s too grown up for her. She’ll hate it.’ But the realtor and I both have teenage daughters and said, ‘Just show it to her.’ She came back and said she loved it. It’s feminine and sweet but has some edginess to it.” 

Wallpaper Mural Livette’s Wallpaper / Rug  Loloi / Bed TOV Furniture Nightstands Worlds Away / Pendant Lights Mitzi / Vanity Moravian / Backsplash Palmetto Tile / Mirror Regina Andrew Sconces Regina Andrew / Hardware Pottery Barn

Basement Kitchen

“She 100% let me run with this space. Every single piece of it is black. It’s also where the kids come in from the pool for snacks. We did black granite countertops and all black cabinetry and lighting. Even the plumbing is black. It seemed like the more black we added, the cooler it got.”

Cabinetry Moravian / Backsplash Palmetto Tile / Sconces Regina Andrew / Pendant Lights Arteriors / Bar stools Noir