When the young Jeffus family reached out to Berkeley Minkhorst and Kelley Lentini of House of Nomad, they were embarking on a home-building adventure and wanted help starting at point A. They were in need of more space and wanted a home in a more suitable location for their respective jobs. They landed on a lot in an established neighborhood in Quail Hollow and began dreaming up their new build.
“We were really excited about the location,” Courtney Jeffus recalls. “It was close to my family; it was convenient for work but the existing house was a non-starter.” The couple knew immediately they would tear it down and start over. “I found House of Nomad through my own research,” Jeffus says. “I had found a couple of other designers to interview, but when I met with Berkeley and Kelley, I knew right away that they were the right choice. We felt confident they could bring us full circle on our home.” Minkhorst adds, “Taking a client from paint and finishes all the way to layering is a designer’s dream come true, and with more and more people choosing to remodel, this was our first request for a new build. We were beyond excited to put our talent to full-time work and see it come to fruition.” Being from New York, Jeffus’ design aesthetic was clean, modern, and simple. But she was ready and willing to expand and explore within those parameters, which happens to be right in House of Nomad’s wheelhouse. “I was open to being pushed beyond my boundaries,” Jeffus says. “But I trusted Berkeley and Kelley, which is key to just letting someone do their job. That’s why I hired them.”
“Our mantra at House of Nomad is Global Modern, but the client always comes first. And tying it all together is the goal,” Lentini says. “We knew that Courtney wanted clean and modern, but it was important to keep it warm and inviting as well. We did this from the word ‘go,’ really buying into textures as the base of warmth with light oak floors, concrete accents, white walls, and plenty of warm woods, leathers, and natural elements in our layers.”
The team relied on a mostly black, white, and neutral palette with pops of blue throughout the home. “Black and white as a base instantly gives the home an updated and graphic personality,” Minkhorst says.
House of Nomad began with the granular, helping the family choose fixtures, finishes, paint, moldings, door finishes, stains, and everything in between. Keeping in mind the importance of textures, the team chose white quartz for the kitchen countertops coupled with a textured concrete backsplash and wood accents that complement the washed oak flooring throughout. “The biggest challenge for me on this project was the decisionmaking,” Jeffus says. “The big decisions are fun and easy, but the devil is in the details, and the minutia just really took the joy out of homebuilding. When House of Nomad came in, as my husband put it, they really injected the fun back into our journey and removed the dread.”
In the master bathroom, they chose a warm gray tile to create a powerhouse of texture and wow factor. By setting the tile in a herringbone pattern and bringing it from the floor up the walls of the shower surround, it created a depth in the room that became a focal point.
“We do offer 3D renderings for clients who need more visuals to understand the design plan, and this is one project that called for it,” Minkhorst explains. “The renderings were incredible and allowed the homeowners to fully buy into each room’s design and get excited about the finished product.” Lentini adds that spending time with their clients allows them to come to the table with things they are confident the homeowners will like, because they have taken the time to learn their likes, dislikes, comforts, and hopes. Marrying form with function for this family with two small children was number one in this project, and Lentini and Minkhorst kept it top-of-mind when layering and accessorizing. “After we spend time with the clients, we dream about the project a little, and something always floats to the surface,” Minkhorst says. “Whether we remember a really great light fixture, or great chair, or whatever it is that reminds us of this family—that becomes the inspiration.”
“These clients didn’t like a lot of fuss or unnecessary things in their home,” Lentini says. “So we paid attention to our layering pieces, choosing items that had weight or longevity to withstand time and children.” One driver for the design, which was also important for texture and longevity, was area rugs. “Open concepts are popular,” Minkhorst says. “They offer such a feeling of space and architecture. But the challenge can be making the spaces feel warm as well as creating a sense of independence to particular spaces. We accomplished this with area rugs. Knowing they had to be very large, we used the rug as a base for designing several rooms.”
When it came time to layer the home, Lentini and Minkhorst used the same textures that built the home to create the lived-in, welcoming feel—wood, stone, rattan, jute, weaves, and more. On open shelving, they used large items that maintain a clean aesthetic rather than many smaller items, which can appear cluttered. “One of the first things I told them was that I wanted the home to feel complete,” Jeffus recalls. “Our last house was a hodgepodge and always felt ‘in progress’—I just wanted to finally be in a home that felt totally finished.”
“Every project we work on broadens our aesthetic and sense of style,” Lentini says. “As a professional, either you have a talent for design or you don’t. But if you do, it can always be expanded and built upon. That’s how you constantly evolve and train.” Their first complete project from empty lot to full home solidified accolades for House of Nomad’s extensive design chops and brought them a new sense of satisfaction from pulling everything together and learning so much along the way. “Designing is so much more than making a space look pretty; we’re passionate about giving clients a dream space.”
Looking at the project as a whole, Minkhorst says she’s “obsessed with the overall design. The living room is a great microcosm of the whole home—all the elements coming together and working beautifully together. The same wood from the island is also used in the storage by the fireplace. The stacked feel of the console table paired with the stacked feel of the lamps next to it is satisfying. Everything plays well together and works off each other to create an overall sense of personality, warmth, and individuality.”
Jeffus notes, “I love our house. Truly. Every time I walk around, I am so thankful for it. I wouldn’t change a thing. House of Nomad was fantastic to work with, and I plan to keep in touch with them for a long time.”