An unexpected fresh start allowed this Raleigh family to create their dream home from scratch, with the help of Tula Summerford.
by Ayn-Monique Klahre | photography by Aura Marzouk
Celia and Aaron Holler’s home is elegant and calm. It’s done in blues and greens on top of a bright-white palette, punctuated by brass tones and rich wood. Designer Tula Summerford worked with the couple to create this vision, offering them a beautifully decorated haven to raise their young boys, Solly and Levi “We wanted everything in the home to feel classic and last a long time,” Celia says.
The home offered the family a fresh start after a fire destroyed their previous home in May 2021. “We were told it would be a complete rebuild,” says Celia. “We wanted to salvage what we could, but with so many people putting money into their homes after the pandemic, we had trouble finding contractors to help us redo our old house.” The back-and-forth with their insurance company — while finding places to live with their preschoolers — made the project particularly overwhelming.
“We crashed with my in-laws, we stayed with my parents, we went to the beach and lived in various long-term rentals and Airbnbs — we did a lot of moving!” says Celia. “Fortunately, our kids were so young, it was kind of an adventure for them.”
When they learned through friends that this Budleigh home was coming up for sale, they jumped on it. “It was a terrible time to buy a house — the market was so crazy, interest rates were so high — but we’d always loved the neighborhood,” says Celia. “We’re so happy we’re here now, we love that it’s so quiet, and we can walk to friends’ houses, to the park and to school.”
Once they’d bought the home, they enlisted Summerford, who’d been helping them consult with contractors before they’d given up on the old home, to make it their own. The house was in good shape but outdated, so Summerford worked with Bryan Wooten of G.R. Wooten Construction to redesign a few rooms to fit their lifestyle.
The biggest change, construction-wise, was in the open kitchen and living area, where they removed columns and reconfigured the storage areas. Celia and Aaron love to entertain, so they wanted plenty of space to spread out and store their gear. “My husband used to work in fine dining, so when he cooks he really cooks — we have all the big pots and pans, the giant slab cutting board, everything,” Celia says. Now, the kitchen includes double ovens, a side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, and two sinks.
“There are always little kids and dogs underfoot, so it’s good to have plenty of room to move around,” says Celia. “And with the second sink, I can pop over to wash produce for the boys’ snack even if Aaron is in the middle of making something.”
In terms of furnishings, the Holler family didn’t have much to start with, since all of their previous pieces had been damaged in the fire — just one antique china cabinet that had belonged to Aaron’s grandmother, along with some of the kids’ stuffed animals and a few accessories. So the home offered an opportunity to start from scratch.
“Celia likes more classic, traditional furnishings, but she was open to contemporary pieces, too,” says Summerford. To start decorating, Summerford presented the family with a few color palettes, homing in on soft, neutral colors and ocean hues.
In many of the rooms, a fabric or wallpaper was the starting point. In the dining room, the hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper set the tone. “We weren’t sure if we’d do it, but I loved it so much,” says Celia. “Then Summerford took that color palette and ran with it.” For the ceilings and trim in the dining room, Summerford matched the paint exactly to the wallpaper.
“I think color washing gives a space a real finished, balanced look,” Summerford says. She had a rug custom-made to pick up the colors in the wallpaper and chose white chairs to brighten the room. “They add a nice pop, I didn’t want it to be too dark in here,” says Summerford.
In the family room, the soft floral curtain fabric set the tone. “The pattern draws inspiration from art movements of the 1900s; it has a Paris vibe and pulls in the greenery from outside,” says Summerford. “I like the spirited brushstrokes, it looks like art.” Summerford matched the fabric with the upholstery for the accent chairs there, as well as the bench in the adjoining breakfast area.
Throughout the home, there’s a mix of new pieces and antiques. “Because everything else is brand new, I worried about it feeling like a showroom or hotel, so we asked to include a few antiques in the house,” Celia says. In the breakfast area, the contemporary tulip-style table and channel back bench are paired with a set of Art Deco-era dining chairs. “I’d found them a while ago, and they were just waiting for the right clients,” Summerford says. For the dining room, Celia suggested the antique Venetian glass chandelier to go with the new table and chairs.
Throughout, everything had to be childproof and pet resistant to stand up to the wear of the young family. The couple enjoys cooking and entertaining, and now that they’re situated, often find themselves hosting friends and family in the open-plan kitchen and living area. “We love that these spaces are so connected, it’s easy to just sit and be comfortable, so we can hang out all together while we’re cooking or watching a game,” says Celia.
With Summerford’s help, their new home offers a tranquil, beautiful space to start fresh — with plenty of room to fill in with new pieces they’ll treasure.
“When I saw those, I knew they were a rare find that would be perfect for somebody,” says designer Tula Summerford of the chairs at the breakfast table. They’re paired with a faux leather bench for the kids. “It’s easy to clean off when the children spill on it,” Celia says. They wanted a really long table here — this one easily fits eight to 10 — because they often host family and friends for meals.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of WALTER magazine.
