A home rich with the appearance of nostalgia and a timeless history, but that has only been in the works for four years now, the Hough’s fully custom, family-oriented house located in West was designed to look and feel like the kind of vintage and traditional family home that has hosted generations.
Bennett Severide Interior Design has worked closely with Cara and Brad Hough to bring their home to life, complete with a 1960s feel and quality wood and materials that are designed to last many decades.
“The owners wanted their house to feel like it was built in the 70s or 60s or 50s, with that super traditional look,” Owner and Principal Designer Bennett Severide said. “We did white oak and stained wood throughout. She wanted everything to be fully a real material.”
Severide used white Calacatta marble countertops throughout the kitchen, complemented with cream cabinets. In contrast, the butler’s pantry was given a black Soapstone and stained wood cabinets. The vision for the overall design was to create a rich, classic style that would “look like it had been there 100 years and would last 100 more,” according to Severide.
Lacquer brass was used to create the illusion of a house aged with character but that would withstand the years.
“They wanted to feel like it wasn’t a brand-new house, so we were super intentional about selecting materials that aligned with that and had a traditional look that gave depth and richness,” Severide said.
Thoughtful details are still being added to the space.
“We’re thinking about building a built-in bench in there,” Severide said. “[Cara] wants people to be in this kitchen, and her whole family to have a place to sit and gather. This is the kind of kitchen where you could see multiple generations being in this house.”
In addition to character, practicality was also of importance to the design.
“They have three boys, so we also had to select materials that could withstand a lot and that would not break easily,” Severide said. “We were very intentional about selecting things that could see some abuse. We did on the walls in the kitchen a tongue and groove that we painted to protect the walls in there, and in the butler’s pantry, we did a white tile all the way up on the walls to the ceiling. It all solidifies that long-lasting quality of the house.”
When designing the home, Cara Hough focused on the nostalgia.
“I think she took a lot of inspiration from her mom’s house, like the Calacatta countertops— they had them for her whole life growing up,” Severide said.
In addition to the classic style of her childhood home, Severide said the homeowners also were greatly influenced by how the style reflected their three boys.
“She loves when something looks like it has character and it has some rough and tough on it, rather than always the perfect pristine condition,” Severide said. “I think that plays into her boys. They’re young kids, and she does very well with not everything having to look perfect all the time, but rather I think she’s looking for something very homey. We care more about the experience than about every little thing being perfect all the time.”
The lived-in, family-oriented kitchen is filled with a lot of barstools at the island to seat kids and grandparents, as well as more cozy spaces where the entire family can gather to share a meal.
“It feels like a warm house, not English cottage, but a little more elevated than that, in a similar vibe of a warm, traditional home,” Severide said.
From the decorative, mosaic tile flooring in the butler’s pantry, to the two pocket doors going from the kitchen with a real brass transition, every unique detail was thought out with the intention of creating a space that can be a home for generations.
“Everything that went into this house, it was blood sweat and tears a lot of the time,” Severide said. “We went slow and methodical, being very intentional about every single every piece of hardware and every single thing. I feel like working that long with someone, you become great friends with the homeowners. I really pride myself on advocating for my clients and I want the absolute best product possible for them.”
