For interior designer Sheri Bailey, co-founder of Bailey Vermillion, there was only one team to help her create her dream home: Newberry Architecture. “I knew friends who had worked with Ken Newberry and knew about his experience building luxury homes, so it was a no-brainer having him build/design my personal dream home,” Sheri explains. “The Newberry team was so meticulous and efficient. It couldn’t have been a more enjoyable experience collaborating with them.”
The grand estate is located in an area of Houston known for larger lot sizes, making it perfect for an extremely custom home, even one with a lot of requirements. “It was easier going into the project knowing that we had an interior designer that was also the homeowner,” Ken explains. “Now, the list of requirements from the entire family…well there were a lot of requirements to oversee and to make work for this piece of property and for this project.” A few non-negotiables: the family’s large boat needed to be stored with ease, as did their large hunting and fishing trucks. That said, they didn’t want the hunting element to flow through their house—Bailey’s personal style was key, as was a sense of flow.
“Circulation is a big part of what I teach my team,” Ken explains. “I want circulation throughout a house that’s very comfortable for the family and also for entertaining. And I wanted to make sure that it’s really comfortable. We then took that information from her about how to set up the rooms for the furniture arrangements that she was wanting to do. I’m very big on center lines and lining pieces up and so forth, but also having symmetry.”
Sheri was eager to work with her design partner, Maggie, on the interiors. Though the aesthetic is clearly informed by Sheri’s upbringing in England, they relied on many local vendors. “We have so many sources, there is nothing you cannot find in Houston or via technology. This process can be so daunting, but it really was so achievable with the help of my partner Maggie and the Newberry and Goodchild team,” she says. “Maggie and I were thrilled to find and include small local Houston talent to create custom locally made furniture, custom brass bar countertop details and antiques sourced from local antique dealers W. Gardner, Found, M. Nauve, and Liz Spradling. Much of the art is sourced from Dimmitt Art and is still an ongoing endeavor. A collected home for me personally is always a home full of interest.”
The result is the very definition of a “forever” home. Sheri concludes, “I wanted to create a timeless feel with modern-day luxuries and comfort to afford a family a home that could really be lived in and that is exactly what Newberry created for us. We had no idea how much we would really live in this house!”
Take a closer look in the slideshow.