Tranquillite’ Project
Seeking Serenity
The interior redesign job at Frank and Kay Dickens' residence started with the purchase of one extraordinary piece of furniture and ultimately led to a home completely transformed. It’s a trend we see repeated with our customers time and time again.
“The client came to us with specific needs for a very high-end media room,” explains designer Elizabeth Lewis. “We worked sedulously to find the perfect sofa sectional. Ultimately we chose the Murano, in coffee brown 
leather with a contrasting burnt orange stitch, because it beautifully enhanced the custom macassar ebony wood media components.” In May of 2010, the space was featured in Absolute Sound magazine. Aside from appealing to media room aficionados, it turns out the couple’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniels approve of the ultra plush digs, too.
With the entertainment room successfully completed, Frank and Kay were open to seeing how other furnishings from Cantoni could help enhance the tranquil setting of their North Dallas home. The expansive living area features a 20 ft. wide window which provided a unique challenge. 
“We’d had a number of designers come in, and they all want to break up the room into separate sections,” says Kay. “Elizabeth walked in and immediately had a vision. She wanted to take advantage of the natural outdoor setting and we absolutely love it.”
Elizabeth explains the challenge this way, “They’d struggled with the furniture layout in the living room 
because of its size. The inclination is to create two seating areas, but we agreed the focal point should remain the view of their amazing, xeriscape-inspired property. Their home, customized by Frank’s keen engineer eye, sits on three private acres and backs up to 40.” Now that’s tranquility.
This job, like many others, came with a stipulation to keep the feel warm and inviting, and not overtly modern. Cantoni continues to add collections that speak softly to the contemporary. We also encourage clients to let us make a house call, engage in discussions about 
how we can convey a transitional feel, and if a job is extensive—we do renderings that depict just how a finished room will look. It’s often far more cost effective to enlist the help of a Cantoni design pro. It saves time, and helps reduce the possibility of making a purchase you’ll later regret. As for the Dickens, they are thrilled with the new zen-like feel of their home. “We couldn’t be happier,” says Kay, “and we think Elizabeth is the greatest.”
Photos by David DeLeon.
