The 1,700-square-foot condo in the Omni Residences overlooks downtown Fort Worth. A sofa from the Boudreaux Associates Private Label Upholstery Line forms the main sitting area. The amethyst lamp and décor on the cocktail table are minerals from Empressive GeoDesigns.
The 1,700-square-foot condo in the Omni Residences overlooks downtown Fort Worth. A sofa from the Boudreaux Associates Private Label Upholstery Line forms the main sitting area. The amethyst lamp and décor on the cocktail table are minerals from Empressive GeoDesigns.
That was the lofty goal for Boudreaux Associates as it remodeled a 1,700-square-foot condo in the 7-year-old luxury hotel and condo development. But for Glen Boudreaux, owner and principal of the Dallas design firm, designing this unit for the second time—the original client recommended the firm to the new owner—it was business as usual.
“We go through the same process with all our clients,” he says. “We let the space, the architecture and the client’s lifestyle requirements dictate the design. All of these have to be in harmony with each other to get the best possible results.”
Glen says that during the initial meeting the client remarked: “I like what you are saying. You’re actually listening to me, and I like that.” Glen says that is the way he works. “The client said, ‘I want it done right.’ I said, ‘We will do it right, but it still has to be for you and not for me.’ We do that with all of our clients, and I think that puts us in a different category from many other interior designers. Having that conversation, they know we are going to take care of them and spend their money wisely.”
Boats Green and Turquoise by Youn Ok Kim hangs above a console custom designed by Glen Boudreaux and crafted locally. The console houses the television and is lift operated when it’s turned on. The occasional table was crafted locally and features a leathered granite top.
Taking care of this client meant creating a second home and a place for relaxing and entertaining. “This project was total turnkey,” says the designer. “Dishes, silverware, towels—we provided it all. He just wanted to move in with his clothes and not worry about anything, and that’s what we gave him.”
While the remodeled space would be new, the client wanted a comfortable, lived-in feel. The designer describes the resulting style as “soft contemporary, clean and classic with an architectural nature,” rather than trendy. “Clean and classic can relate to any style, but it stands the test of time and does not become dated,” the designer explains.
Flooring throughout the condo is hardwood with wool carpet in the bedrooms. The walls are what the designer describes as a “light mist for the master bedroom—soft, serene and very comfortable.”
Glen designed eight custom furniture pieces for the condo. All were built locally out of clear alder with a satin finish and no knots to create a sophisticated rather than rustic look.
Among the new pieces are a cabinet in the living room that conceals a flat-screen television that pops up with a remote control, custom nightstands, and a bench at the end of the bed that opens for packing. A longer piece in the room is topped with leathered Frost White granite, which blends well with the alder and adds to the contemporary décor.
The European landscape painting is by artist J.C. Seo. The fluted-front console housing bar and stemware was custom designed by Glen and crafted locally. Sitting atop the console is a hand-carved onyx leaf bowl.
In the master bedroom a flared, upholstered headboard is flanked by alder nightstands that are scaled to the room and bed. “The client loved the granite in the other rooms, so we put it on those pieces as well,” says Glen. “Continuing the granite into the bedroom creates flow through the entire space.”
Prominent in the dining area is a table that seats six and is oval to improve the flow and save space near a column in the corner. The shape also accentuates a dramatic starburst veneer.
“We call it total design, where every aspect of the piece or space is considered,” says Glen. “That’s true when designing a piece of furniture or an entire living space. It’s one cohesive unit and everything works.”
All the artwork in the condo is original and was curated by the designer to create a “collected” feel that reflects the aesthetic of the client. “We do art for art’s sake. We don’t try to match the art with the finishes of the rooms,” he says. Selections include two abstract pieces above the bedroom nightstands by Dallas artist Carol Benson-Cobb. Other pieces include an abstract by Chinese artist David Ma, a palette knife work by Richard Riverin and impressionistic boats by Youn Ok Kim.
In the dining nook a bespoke oval dining table with starburst veneer top and accompanying chairs were made by the designer. Hanging dramatically above the table is a custom chandelier with hand-bent glass rods.Below: In the front entrance of the condo, two custom-made ottomans from the Boudreaux Associates Private Label Upholstery Line tuck under a console. A Melissa McKean abstract hangs above.
New upholstered furniture is all private label and accessories were handpicked, such as a hand-carved, leaf-shaped onyx bowl in the living room, an amethyst table lamp from Empressive GeoDesigns, a handmade silver box for the television remote, and a Pakistani Farahan area rug.
Existing fluorescent lighting was replaced with LED fixtures. Glass rods dangling from a chandelier above the dining table change in appearance from silver to a soft gold as the lights are dimmed. “Its beauty is in the pattern it creates on the ceiling,” says Glen.
Projects in high-rise buildings have special conditions, such as scheduling work and deliveries to minimize disruption to residents and hotel guests. The Omni project required all of that coordination as well as working with The Construction Group, exclusive contractors for the Omni.
In the master bedroom the designer custom made the headboard and the two leathered granite-topped nightstands. Bookending the bed are Shallow I and Shallow II by Carol Benson Cobb. Below: A combination of slate, porcelain and metal tile was used in the master bath, along with a spa tub and ceiling speakers to create an environment for a relaxing soak after a long day.
The Omni project is just one of the most recent in the designer’s 39-year career that includes construction knowledge gained with a degree in interior design through the School of Architecture at Louisiana State University. “I bring value to the table during the construction, in the specifications of materials, the selections of interior finishes as well as the design and furnishing of a project,” he says.
Jeff Hampton is a freelance writer based in Garland, Texas. Find out more at jeffhamptonwriter.com.
