WITHIN TEN MINUTES of being on the phone with Tony Frazier, owner of Frazier Home Design, the homeowners knew it was a match. The Charlotte-based couple had seen Frazier’s architectural portfolio. And although he was based in Raleigh, the couple’s intuition said that the architect was “the one” to bring their new build to fruition. “You know what you like, and my husband and I very much appreciate autonomy and individuality,” the homeowner says. “We wanted our home to be slightly different than what we saw around town, and Tony brought that individuality to the table.” The home was Frazier’s first foray into the Charlotte area.
Within minutes of carefully listening to his potential clients, Frazier had drawn up a sketch of what he imagined the home would look like. “It was perfect,” says the homeowner. “We wanted guests to walk into the home expecting one thing but then get a completely different experience once inside. It was like the unfolding of a tiny jewel box. Tony picked up on all of these tiny architectural intricacies we loved and implemented them into the design.”
A traditional white-washed brick facade with sloping rooflines accompanied traditional millwork in the home. The interiors, though, are decidedly modern, with the couple’s art collection guiding the design. “In our previous home, it didn’t really feel like the art fit,” says the homeowner of their traditional Colonial. “And we felt like everything had to be white. With this house, we flipped it. This home calls for an art-centered design whereas in our previous home, art was the complement to the interiors.”
With a background in fashion, the homeowner and her husband, also a creative, have a passion for art and interior design. Collaborating closely with a designer in New York City on some of the interior choices, the homeowner led the design efforts, opting for bright, colorful patterns and hues over a neutral color palette, all of which complemented the couple’s artwork. “We started collecting when we got married fifteen years ago,” she says. “And it’s become a sort of obsession. I can’t draw my way out of a paper bag, but it’s amazing when someone else can. Many of the pieces were purchased while traveling together and serve as great memories of our adventures together.”
The couple also supports Charlotte’s arts community by purchasing artwork from local artists and galleries. “That’s the one thing I love about Charlotte: it’s such an approachable arts city,” she explains. “I have a strong admiration of art in all forms, and it’s such a welcoming place to learn about art and our community. Between the Mint, the Belk, the McColl Center, the Goodyear Arts residency program, and more, art is so accessible here. Art used to be so intimidating, but once I understood what I liked, it rippled from there.”
The interior design mirrors that growth from novice to passionate collector, as the couple’s collection features a variety of mediums from acrylics and textured art to sculptures and furniture design. The quartet of wooden counter stools in the kitchen, for example, were handcarved by Anna Karlin. “The counter stools were too high, though, and we wanted custom stains, so we worked with McSwain’s Handmade Furniture to customize them,” says the homeowner. “It feels good walking around your house when you love the artwork you’ve chosen,” she says.
The home is ever-evolving as the couple continues to collect. But one thing remains: the home itself was the perfect vessel to display their collection. “This home really highlights our collection in a way that our previous home could not,” she says. “We move our pieces around our home and it gives them a new personality every time. This home allows us to do that in a way that makes it seamless and beautiful every time.”