“We wanted to build a new home with an old soul,” shares Julie Lindemann, senior project manager at Streeter Custom Builder. Her team tapped Murphy & Co. Design and Prospect Refuge Studio, both known for their classic, yet unique approaches to home to establish a masterclass in balance. Crisp lines meet inviting curves. Personality complements livability. And classicism finds its contemporary edge. The design journey began in 2019. Shortly after the work started, the family moved temporarily to Spain. Upon the clients’ homecoming, the team quickly picked up the project with a resurgence in energy and renewed commitment to creating a curated, comfortable landing pad for the family.
Photography by Eric Petschek
From the outset, the team worked within the historic style of the neighborhood to ensure the new house would harmonize with its surroundings. There’s a certain sensibility to the painted brick and shingle-style exterior, warmed up with a palette of soft white, deep blue and cedar that sets the stage for what’s inside. “Designing a house in a more traditional neighborhood that could feel fresh and new, while not standing out from the surrounding homes was a fun challenge,” adds Blake Solberg, principal and lead designer at Murphy & Co. Design.
Throughout the process, the team embraced a conceptual approach to ground themselves in what was basically a blank canvas issued by the clients. The defining concept: a white button-down shirt. “It was something the clients mentioned, and it stuck with us. They were the muse,” says Founder and Design Director of Prospect Refuge Studio Victoria Sass. A white button-down can be classic and tailored — or playful and undone. It’s a foundational piece that supports everything else. The result is a home that feels at once timeless and entirely personal, where tradition and modernity coexist with ease.
This beautiful balance is immediately evident upon entry. The foyer’s marble flooring is a work of art in itself; individual slabs fabricated and installed one by one create a geometric inlay that sets the stage for refined applications found throughout. Stepping further into the space, one enters the formal living room, which is enlivened with hints of playfulness. Colonial-style Marvin windows skew traditional, but their floor-to-ceiling scale gives them a modern twist. Intricate cove detailing wraps around the ceiling — an unexpected alternative to traditional crown molding which nods to classical proportions. And a nostalgic, open-hearth Isokern fireplace gets a facelift thanks to the raised travertine hearth. The home office is just a step past the fire, where the team worked with Braaten Creative Woods to give the built-in cabinetry a more updated feel, featuring open shelving, limited face frames and pared-back hardware — a sophisticated design choice that’s peppered throughout the plans.
It’s one thing to dream up these creative ideas; it’s another to execute them. And that’s where Streeter’s unyielding focus and commitment to building excellence separates its homes from others. Streeter’s tenured team of framers and trim carpenters achieve a level of craftsmanship which is unique in the industry. The visionary team is masterful in their craft and approach their work with unparalleled knowledge, execution and passion. “It’s about doing the smallest things at the highest level,” says Lindemann. The staircase, a striking example of the home’s craftsmanship, posed a unique challenge. “The clients didn’t want to see drywall at the underside of the stairs, so we asked ourselves, ‘how do we elevate it?’” she recalls. Her team’s stunning response was a fully custom staircase wrapped in white oak. The continuous panel softens the architecture while reinforcing the home’s detail-driven approach.
Curvature meets contrast in the kitchen. The industrial-style range hood is constructed from double-layered frosted glass, and its clean profile is met with curved metal to accommodate the cove ceiling. “That type of interaction is where Streeter shines,” adds Solberg. The kitchen is a buzzing area that needs to work hard for the young family. A window bank over the sink frames the creek beyond, a view that dictates much of the layout. Prioritizing openness and functionality, the team chose to forego upper cabinetry in favor of storage-packed lower cabinets and an island that feels more like a found piece of furniture than a typical prep space. A small table extends from the island, encouraging the kids to pull up a chair in the heart of the home.
“At its core, this is a family home,” echoes Lindemann. Within the 10,000-square-foot space, the homeowners were determined to carve out smaller hangout areas. A 370-square-foot room just off the kitchen — dubbed “the cozy room” — became a game of inches for the design team. “Isn’t that human nature?” Sass smiles. “We just want to be snug.” The team expertly delivered a space with a dedicated eating area, lounge spot and access to the patio, with beautiful details like wrap-around bookcases and custom tilework. Upstairs, all the family bedrooms are arranged around a central hub, a space for togetherness at the heart of daily life. A kid’s lounge room is tucked between the primary suite and the kids’ rooms, providing an informal place to perch during busy mornings and end-of-day unwinding. Downstairs is dedicated to family, too, with a sport court, family and game room, craft room, and a guest suite plus a sauna. The lower level connects to the sprawling backyard, boasting old-growth trees the neighborhood is known for, plus a pool and water access. From the back, this new era of traditionalism is also evident; gabled roofs and traditional balcony details are contrasted by large expanses of glass and flat roofing over “the cozy room” and screened front porch, which are topped off with vegetation for a fun design element.
The success of the project hinged on collaboration and trust. “The clients were incredibly open from the beginning,” the team shares. That paved the way for a particularly artful approach in the dining room, where Sass worked with artist Ginny Sims on a custom mural. She added in personal touches, like a view of Barcelona from the family’s time abroad. “Their trust allowed us to push the boundaries and elevate the home beyond what they could have imagined,” says Lindemann. And like the best white button-down, the end result is effortlessly chic, infinitely versatile and always in style.
Builder: Streeter Custom Builder
Architect: Murphy & Co. Design
Interior Designer: Prospect Refuge Studio
