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Homeowners’ Names: Lauren Justice, Scott Justice, Audrey (an Italian Greyhound), and Brennan (a French Bulldog)
Design Professionals: Journey + Jacobs Design Studio, Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey, and Alex Grisanti of Honeycomb Construction. Plasterwork by Lance Limanti of Classic Finishes
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Size: 1500 square feet
Type of Home: An apartment on the top floor of a mixed-use brick building built in the late 1800s.
Years lived in: 1 year, owned
“We’ve always dreamed about living and working in the same space, so when a historic building around the corner from Scott’s office became available, we knew we had to jump on it,” explains Lauren Justice, who is a design strategist and co-owner of Nouvelle Bar & Bottle in Louisville. (Husband Scott is co-owner of Nouvelle Bar & Bottle and also an attorney). “The apartment is situated on the second floor of our building, which is located in the heart of the NuLu neighborhood. It’s within walking distance of so many locally-owned shops, bars, and restaurants — it’s truly a thriving, hyper-local urban area and one of the most unique neighborhoods in our city.”
Lauren and Scott worked with Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey of Journey + Jacobs Design Studio to renovate this 1500-square-foot apartment in a brick building built in the late 1800s. “We love how open and bright our apartment is. We get so much natural light in our kitchen and living room area through our massive folding doors and large windows.”
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Lauren and Scott’s Style: Parisian Art Deco meets Brooklyn brownstone.
Lauren and Scott’s Inspiration: We are always inspired by the places we travel to. I wanted to design a space that transported us when we stepped through the front door. We wanted a sense of livable luxury that left a big impression. Designing a space for cooking and entertaining was very important, though obviously, the entertaining part is currently on hold!
Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey’s Inspiration: This project started with inspiration from an old-world, Parisian-style apartment with subtle depths in color and texture. With tall ceilings and beautiful mouldings the apartment had some original bones that we could build from to create a feeling that you’re visiting somewhere distant. We wanted it to be elegant while still feeling comfortable, functional, textured, and warm.
Lauren and Scott’s Favorite Element: It’s very hard to choose but a few are: The back wall accordion doors because they transform the living room and kitchen into an indoor/outdoor space. The Bertazzoni range. The Farrow & Ball paint in the office and the bathroom tile and plaster.
Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey’s Favorite Element: We loved how the meditation room turned out. The built in-shelving with the window seat bench and the beautiful upholstered golden velvet cushion all together are simply beautiful. We weren’t looking for something overwhelming or overly impactful. But wanted a clean balance and a place for respite and relaxation for Scott and Lauren.
Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey’s Biggest Challenge: The bathroom became one of our most favorite elements, but was also the biggest challenge! The whole experience was an adventure! It consisted of lots of problem solving and creativity, as well as resourcefulness to get the proper results and open shower/spa concept.
It came down to proper space planning, water proofing, getting the right slope for the wet room to be functional. It was also about choosing materials that were practical and beautiful! It was a challenge well worth it because the results are amazing! We couldn’t have done it without our collective team constantly in communication and working together.
Biggest Indulgence: The custom cabinetry was so worth it. It made the space feel, well, custom-made for us and solved our storage concerns.
Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey – We (J+J) love the heavy draped chocolate velvet curtains in the main bedroom. These gave us the perfect warm element that provided light blocking, noise reduction and height for the perfect balance between beautiful and practical. We made sure to drape them along the floor for the additional parisian touch!
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Lauren and Scott – The meditation room doubles as a posh dog bedroom for Audrey and Brennan.
What’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey – One of our favorite tricks is painting the ceiling the same color as the walls. The results are always that of a room wrapping you in a warm hug with no strong lines or cut-offs. We did just that in Scott and Lauren’s and the space is spacious yet cozy.
Thank you Lauren, Scott and Amanda Jacobs and Jaclyn Journey of Journey + Jacobs Design Studio!
This house tour’s responses were edited for length and clarity.
