What Started as a Color Consult Developed Into a Full New-Build
When Leigh Jendrusina’s client discovered her firm, SALTHOUSE Collective, on Instagram, she knew they aligned stylistically. What began as a paint color consultation led to Leigh helping her with furnishings and decor. A year later, the client was building a home and reached out to Leigh to help her design it from the ground up.
With SALTHOUSE based in Southern California and the client building in Wilmington, NC, the process of a remote building included many FaceTimes, texts, and videos sent back and forth to ensure everything went to plan. The result is a light-filled, beautiful, organic, modern home with a laid-back yet fresh coastal style.
The goal of the project was to build a minimal, family-friendly home with plenty of space for entertaining and lounging indoors and out. Mixing light and dark finishes, old and new touches, and custom details, Leigh worked with her clients to bring their space to life every step of the way.
Design: Salthouse Collective | Photography: Charlotte Lea Photography
The Exterior’s Extended Living Space
If there’s one thing that Leigh’s California living has in common with her client’s North Carolina lifestyle, it’s the emphasis on outdoor spaces. Extending the living spaces to the exterior, Leigh carefully selected furniture pieces that would withstand the elements in style. Blu Dot dining chairs bring a perfect touch of color and modernism, and cozy lounge seating mirrors the minimal palette in the living room.

Inviting Details in the Entryway
A light-filled entryway welcomes you in and sets the scene for the home. The Serena and Lily statement chandelier centers the space and adds a bit of glam to the light & airy, laid-back look. Woven artwork by Upton brings in texture and color, and a playful geometric rug softens the room.
Built-in elements are ideal in an entryway space, and Leigh incorporated a bench here for removing shoes and storing backpacks and everyday items.

A Cozy Open Concept Living Room
An open-concept living room right off the kitchen allows for cozy seating and conversation near the heart of the home. Glass-sliding doors leading outside to sunny North Carolina bring outdoor living in, extending the footprint of the lounge space. Leigh incorporated a mix of vintage and found ceramics in the built-ins to add layers of personality to the room.

The Multi-Functional Kitchen
Leigh designed this open-concept space in the kitchen to accommodate all of the family’s needs, from cooking to entertaining. Because the floor plan didn’t allow for a formal dining room, they decided to incorporate a space for dining in the kitchen. The client custom-made this white oak dining table, which adds the perfect personal touch to the space.

A Bedrosians Makoto white tile brings dimension with a bit of variation from piece to piece, allowing the streamlined kitchen design to sing.
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BY: ANASTASIA CASEY
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