Lynchburg Living

Departments

By Haley Pinder

With new homes that don’t require maintenance, community amenities and an overall philosophy of low-stress living, it’s easy to see why newlyweds Colby and Denver Compton chose to buy a house in Wyndhurst in the spring of 2009. As a well-planned community offering a variety of housing choices, amenities and open space for Bentley, the family’s “Morkie” (aka – a Yorkie-Maltese mix) dog, to run, Wyndhurst seemed to the Compton’s to be the perfect choice for today’s 24/7 lifestyle; a balance between quality of life and new homes that are ready for immediate move-in. The couple agrees that there’s also a strong sense of community in a planned residential environment like Wyndhurst, where families and children gather at the playground or around the grill. Work sends Denver on frequent trips, so his biggest concern was safety and friendly neighbors to look after his new bride when deliberating between the last two “For Sale” homes on their list.

“We love to walk to get ice cream around the corner,” Colby admitted.

“We also love to travel…as often as possible,” Denver quickly added. “We didn’t need a big yard and all the maintenance to keep us here every weekend.”

Some of their traveling included their wedding in May of 2009 at Wrightsville Beach, NC. The pair met through a mutual friend when Colby was a high school student at Jefferson Forest and Denver was a Liberty University student. It is a love at first sight story, one that is still very evident in their faces and the pictures throughout their home. What is also evident is a blending of styles between a country girl from Rustburg and a city boy from Raleigh, NC. In their words, they “compromised” to find a great expression of their marriage in their home and its decor.

“I settled him down,” Colby said as she cuddled up to her groom on the black contemporary sofa that Denver chose.

The soft yellow walls make their contemporary furniture more “homey” to fit Colby’s self-proclaimed “laid-back” style.

“I grew up on a farm and was home a lot of the time. I like warmer tones, texture and layering to make [a space] inviting and comfortable. I like to mix old and new to make it interesting,” Colby said of her blend of traditional and eclectic styles.

Denver’s family, on the other hand, was always on the go, so he tends to choose things that reflect his love for travel and contemporary to modern style.

“When I walked in this house, I loved the black hardwood floors. They reminded me of a favorite TV show and I knew exactly how I wanted to decorate it; I like clean lines and asymmetry, with balance in more neutral color,” he explained.

What Denver didn’t realize as he described his style was that he was giving the definition of contemporary style: simple, clean and uncluttered with a neutral color palette. So, how did these two people from different upbringings achieve that contemporary look in the living room? They began with a neutral buttery shade on the walls, added complimentary colored accessories and floor lamps with straight lines and metallic finishes and finished with simple grommet-style panels to dress up the windows with rich texture.

Instinctively, the Compton’s honed in on the secret to decorating a smaller sized living room: Less really is more, and the fewer elements you include, the more open and airy the room will appear. This couple chose an entertainment center that neatly houses the necessities and strategically placed it in the corner so as to keep the attention on the lovely fireplace and mantel. The furniture has been chosen to fit the proportions of the room, giving plenty of comfortable sitting space for friends and family. Colby and Denver chose to go without a coffee table because they have versatile end tables that do the job with each of the two sofas.

“We didn’t want some builder’s grade new house,” Denver explained. “When we walked inside, we loved many of the upgrades that we didn’t see in other new homes.”

The kitchen is one example of that. Though traditional with its white raised paneled cabinets at varying heights, dark Corian countertops and stainless steel appliances, the kitchen also showcases more modern features by the contrasting in color with the open concept informal dining room adjoining the space. The couple’s black countertop height dining room table and metallic place settings set the mood for a hip hangout. A large island is the focal point, serving as a kind of traffic cop that divides the kitchen from the rest of the open area. It also serves as a place where friends or family can sit and munch on appetizers without getting underfoot while the cooks are working. The space is well lit with lots of recessed lighting and a couple of fresh and attractive hanging light fixtures to add personality. This efficient layout creates an entertainment-friendly space that compliments the rest of the house to create an ideal flow from space to space when it comes to color saturation.

As you pass the built-in desk in the kitchen, nice roomy pantry and half bath in the hallway, it’s hard not to notice the unusually layered molding around the ceilings in this new house. Upon closer inspection, you quickly realize that this is actually a great “trick of the trade” that adds presence without much cost. Most builders of new construction homes just put up one piece of molding, if any, and that is that. The trick to the molding in the Compton’s house, however, is to visually extend it by trimming what was there with a matching piece installed parallel to the existing trim but several inches apart. By painting the moldings and the space between them glossy white, your eye is tricked into believing that it is one substantial piece of molding.

As we turn the corner to head upstairs, a pair of brightly painted canvases embellish the walls; a gift from a fellow hair stylist and friend, Carli Harris, from Trimmers, where Colby works. The top floor is the home to three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and the laundry room. With all of their traveling, it is inevitable that they have some company in return, so their guest bedroom’s color palette is one that mimics their wedding and honeymoon settings at the beach with sandy beaches, blue water and crisp white linen. Seashells from their wedding reception embellish, as pictures of that memorable day line thin, modern shelves. A narrow white bedside table holds a punch of color with books and a table lantern. But perhaps the best accessory in this room is Bentley, who is happily curled up on the guest bed.

As with the rest of the house, the tone these newlyweds chose for their master bedroom emphasizes their longing for a quiet oasis that is both stylish and serene. Of course, creating the right mood starts with color. A beautiful neutral wall and creamy white on the ceiling keeps the energy level calm and quiet. To create drama, dark neutrals in the platform bed and side tables ground the scheme and give it weight. The shimmery fabrics in the bed linens enrich the sophisticated effect of the soft blue colors. But what newlywed’s master is complete without a beautiful portrait of the bride? In the Compton’s case, this portrait is positioned above the built-out headboard of the platform bed, and serves as a backrest and a ledge for display. By adding a mixture of various candles, it’s a recipe for romance.

The icing on the cake of the master suite is in two layers: the master bath and the lovely balcony mountain views. A pair of green glass vessel sinks rest on the bathroom’s countertop like elegant serving bowls. This limited space is not limited in substance; a deep soaker tub is positioned at the end of the room and a tiled shower is enclosed with glass to create the illusion of a larger bathroom. If Colby or Denver doesn’t have that extra half hour to soak in the tub, the 180 degree views are just as relaxing with a cup of coffee in hand and a moment to take it all in before they rush off to work or unwind from a busy day.

These two understand that Rome wasn’t decorated in a day, so they removed much of the pressure by viewing the experience as an opportunity to share what they love about each other. They focused not only on the beautiful outcome of creating a new decor together, but the bigger picture as well: starting a new life together.

“It’s about patience, understanding and flexibility,” both agreed as they talked about their first year of marriage and first year of home ownership.

Certainly, it’s a lot of change and responsibility at one time. As I listened, I reflected on my first year of marriage and our first little condo and couldn’t help but smile. I could feel the pride they both have in their home, their love for one another and their shared excitement for this new phase of life together.