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Nick McGinn
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Nick McGinn
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Nick McGinn
When high-end home developers Headden Real Estate and Layson Construction enlisted Amhad Freeman to design a new construction home that was modern yet comfortable, they got precisely what they wanted.
“It came out exactly how [we] wanted it to look,” Freeman recalls.
The 5,076-square-foot home, sitting atop a hill in West Meade, was a dream project for Freeman, who opened his design firm last July. Once an investment banker, he switched gears and received training from design school courses, internships, and working for a developer.
Nick McGinn
Home design has long been in Freeman’s DNA. His grandmother built four of her children’s homes and he remembers browsing floorplan books as a child.
He rejoiced when the developers trusted him to execute the design of this new home.
“The owner trusted the process and allowed me to do what I love,” he says.
Nick McGinn
The home’s exterior—inspired by the Prairie-style houses of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright—is covered in different textures, including metal, brick, and siding.
Freeman flipped the siding to face horizontally instead of vertically to give more exposure to the brick and make the exterior more interesting.
“I wanted to give the house a lot of unique characteristics, but I also wanted it to stay true to the neighborhood,” he says.
Freeman prefers a neutral palette and the six-bedroom home reflects that.
“I like everything to be soft and serene because when you come home, all you want to do is relax.”
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Nick McGinn
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Nick McGinn
The mostly white and gray master bathroom is a quiet escape. Wrapped within massive glass doors, the shower is lined with book-matched marble porcelain slabs from Italy. The same Calacatta tile covers heated floors, and nestled in a corner perched above two steps is a freestanding bathtub.
The WiFi-controlled shower was designed without faucet handles to achieve a clean look and is one of many high-tech elements in the home. There’s more high-tech equipment in the minimalist-style kitchen, including a double oven in which the temperature can be controlled by phone.
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Nick McGinn
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Nick McGinn
The open-concept kitchen is much like the rest of the home: a perfect marriage of beauty and functionality that’s fit for a family. Custom, dark-stained wood cabinets offer visual contrast to white walls and light colored flooring.
Freeman eliminated upper cabinets above the buffet, providing easy access to dinnerware in lower cabinet drawers, and creating space for a grand window with a view.
Waterfall edges drop vertically down the sides of the quartz island and buffet countertops. Freeman also applied quartz on the stovetop backsplash to make the clean-up of cooking stains less painful.
“[I wanted] everything in the house to be very clean, and I wanted you to see the architecture and finishes more so than the decoration,” Freeman explains.
Nick McGinn
He integrated LED lighting to illuminate multiple areas in the home, from the symmetrical shelf units flanking the living room fireplace to underneath the staircase steps.
Freeman's masterpiece of the home is the glass balustrade lining the staircase. The balustrade is constructed from the same material used for the glass railing system that encloses the terrace upstairs.
“That was something that I definitely wanted to bring to the house; something that someone has never seen before,” he noted.
Nick McGinn
Looking ahead, Freeman is set on expanding his firm and designing custom furniture. After launching his business less than two years ago, he has developed an appreciation for his clients.
“I enjoy the intimacy between me and my clients and building that trust. That’s what it’s all about to me at the end of the day. It is about the work, but most of all, the relationship with the client.”