Happy House

There are no apologies when Buddha, bounding and panting, greets visitors at his door. Rick and Rena Shanks’ Wheaten terrier exhibits the same personality as the family home — exuberant.

“When I first saw this house, I drove by at least four times thinking this is a great location, it’s a ranch and I love it,” says Rena, anchoring the dog before he pounces. 

Getting Rick to agree wasn’t all that difficult. “He mulled things over and said the linoleum in the kitchen would have to go,” she recalls.

That was 17 years ago.

“Actually, the house was in pretty good shape when we bought it. We haven’t changed much structurally except for a major kitchen remodel (finally, after all these years) and master bathroom,” Rena acknowledges.

From the curb, the house doesn’t look all that unusual compared to others in the neighborhood. Setting it apart, however, is the kaleidoscope of color sweeping over walls, ceilings and furnishings. It’s a riot of color that’s impossible not to notice: a milk chocolate-colored master bedroom, two half-baths, one sea-green and the other lavender, and a tart, berry-colored office. 
 
“I grew up in California. My mother, who was my inspiration, instilled a love of bright, beautiful color, along with a good sense to fill a house with lots of visual interest,” Rena says.

That unabashed use of color blooms immediately once inside the foyer. Maybe it’s the mellow-gold wall color that sets up a cheerful welcome or maybe it’s the artistic, metal table. “If I see something I like, I research it and, if I can’t find it, I’ll have it made, which is exactly what I did with this table.”

Purposefully diverting your attention is the living room, awash in sunlight and vibrant teal. All the furnishings here hold their own, particularly the two flea market chairs that Rena paid $25 apiece for. Slip-covered in vivid pink Dupioni silk, they scarcely temper the palette. They simply heighten the appeal much like the fanciful, gold-legged table, antiques and ceiling glazed with a metallic silver and teal paint. All together, this room delivers plenty of punch.

The dining room, just beyond, is equally eye-catching. A dashing, pink-glazed coral drenches the walls accented by a shimmery gold ceiling. The colors radiate so stunningly that they steal the show.

A wooden table for eight (with the original chairs Rick brought into the marriage), a pastel batik picture and a unique iron buffet Rena purchased at Christopher Filley Antiques are subtle understudies that balance out the dramatic space.

“There are a lot of doors in this house,” Rena muses, addressing one in particular separating the kitchen from the dining room. “My partner, Pat Wright, and I (the two own Greathouse LLC, an interior design company) found this amazing glass embedded with cherry blossoms. We cut out the inside of the pocket door, filling it with this material called Livinglass. It’s like artwork; I consider it a focal point.”

They didn’t stop at the door. Realizing the kitchen was going to need a major overhaul, Rena decided it was high time to renovate.

First they gutted the entire space. Utilizing the original metal cabinets, Rena and Pat had them painted Navajo White then detailed them with new wood and metal handles. “We added Zodiaq countertops in chocolate brown then raised and recessed the ceiling 20 inches,” Rena adds. 

They topped the functional island with a sleeve of cream-colored travertine and highlighted the custom-made wood cabinet below with antique ceiling medallions from Black Bamboo.

“I would have kept the original white Belgian glass tiles for the walls, but they’re too difficult to work with so I opted for wheat-colored travertine tile instead.”

Rena accented the kitchen with a watercolor by Peregrine Honig, colored glass, ceramic bibelots and “my other indulgence, a crystal chandelier,” she says.

Livinglass reappears fronting a cabinet above the kitchen built-ins and a 7-foot slice hanging at the back of the kitchen. Rena admits, “I love this material so much, I wanted to be able to see it from many angles.”

Adjacent to the kitchen, clutches of artful collections decorate the spacious family room filled with overstuffed, subtly printed furnishings.

Rena’s quirky knack of visual appeal surfaces constantly. Thus, the eye bounces from mosaic hearts to Tartanware, ceramics, photos, prints and paintings.

Speaking of mosaics, they’re everywhere. 

If they’re not on artwork, they’re on the green-glass powder room tiles or in the master bathroom accented with a triptych of mirrors surrounding the tub and vanities. They’re even showcased on the exterior house numbers created by a Hallmark artist. Rena is crazy for these shiny shards of glass.

The Shanks’ home is anything but ordinary, quite the contrary. Rena’s strong sense of design gives this house its happy soul, merrily effervescent and bursting with novelty.

Resources:
Interior Designers: GreatHouse LLC | Construction/Renovation: E & E Quality Builders  |  Painting: BW Quinn Inc.  |  Upholstery: Gearhart Upholstery  |  Mosaic Artist: Julie Forsyth   Kitchen:  Paint: Sherwin-Williams  |  Kitchen Appliances: Factory Direct Appliance (GE Monogram, Gaggenau, Asko) |  Wall Tile: Dal-Tile  |  Ceiling Chandelier: vintage  |  Glass Pocket Door: Livinglass  Countertops:  Island: The Gallery  |  Perimeter Cabinets: Top Master  Plumbing:  Dorfman Plumbing |  Sink: Blanco  |  Faucet: Elkay Arezzo  Office Bathroom:  Tile: Dal-Tile  |  Countertop Fabrication: E & E Quality Builders  |  Mirror: Restoration Hardware  Laundry Room:  Appliances: Factory Direct Appliance (Bosch)  |  Pocket Glass Door: Westport Glass  |  Tile: International Materials of Design  |  Floor: original concrete cleaned and glossed  |  Countertop: Formica Deco Metal Collection  Guest Bathroom:  Paint: Color custom-mixed to match glazed walls and tile  |  Decorative Paint: Tim Cargill  |  Ceiling Fixture: Rensen House of Lights (Swarovski crystal)  |  Artistic Tile Floor and Walls: International Materials of Design (EP Opera glass)  |  Decorative Trim Tile: International Materials of Design (St. Johns Mixed Jade)  |  Sink: International Materials of Design (PSC Hardwood Sink, teak)  |  Custom Cabinet: E & E Quality Builders