Designer Jena Bula helps empty nesters settle into their long-awaited home with golf course views.

by Michelle Boudin | photographs by Tiffany Ringwald

For Jena Bula of Delphinium Design, her Longview project was the ultimate dream job — designing a home for her clients from start to finish. Situated on the golf course in the picturesque Waxhaw neighborhood, this project was about more than just creating a beautiful space; it was about curating a lifestyle for her clients, who were new empty nesters.

“Arcadia Homes built this beautiful custom home, and we were hired to furnish it so that our clients could move in and immediately enjoy the home they have always dreamt of,” Bula says. The clients were completely open to all ideas, and Bula loved being able to fill the home with locally crafted and sourced items.

With their youngest child in college, the couple wanted to stay in the same part of town but were looking to be on the golf course — something that ultimately prompted a very special place in the house.

The kitchen and cabinets were designed and installed by the builder, Arcadia Homes; Delphinium Design added the pendants and counter stools.

“One of my favorite things is the sunroom,” the homeowner says. 

The light-filled alcove adjacent to the dining room was created as a sitting area, Bula explains. “We designed this space to include swivel chairs so our clients could swivel around and watch the golfers while enjoying their morning coffee.” 

The sunroom is bright and airy, much like the overall aesthetic of the house. Each room is draped in soothing neutrals with pops of blue, creating a calming mood throughout. Though it’s an open layout, Bula and her team made sure each room flows into the next while maintaining its own identity.

“You walk in and it feels like a breath of fresh air — it lifts your spirits,” Bula says. “Sometimes you can go for bright and airy, and it falls flat if you don’t have enough dimension. But this house is bright and airy yet refined.”

Right: The entry doors are by Ellis Reid, a local millworker that also fabricated the custom ceiling beams in the dining room.

That refined elegance is on full display in the entryway, where a stunning crystal chandelier sets the tone for the rest of the house. “It’s a showstopper when you enter the home, and provides a ton of ambience when it’s lit up,” Bula adds.

The main living areas are adorned with locally sourced furnishings and accessories, bearing testimony to Delphinium Design’s commitment to celebrating regional craftsmanship. From custom chairs by Coley Home to throw pillows and sheer curtains by Chancery Custom, each element exudes a sense of authenticity. That’s true for the artwork as well, as paintings from Art House Charlotte are displayed throughout the home. The Charlotte gallery sources original pieces from local artists at an approachable price point  “Even the pottery in the built-ins was made by our client’s mother,” Bula says. 

In the dining room, a dramatic oversized chandelier hangs over a custom table by Kauffman & Co. The custom ceiling beams by Ellis Reid, a local millwork company, add warmth to the vaulted space.

Left: A reading chair from Coley Home is a cozy spot to curl up with a book; the painting by Amy Duke is from Art House Charlotte. Right:The draperies and pillows from Chancery Custom contribute to a bright, airy and refined aesthetic in the primary bedroom.

“We were really lucky to partner with Arcadia,” Bula says. The homebuilder selected and installed the cabinetry and hard finishes before Bula and her team swooped in to furnish the home. “The ceiling beams and wood built-ins, natural stone on the fireplace with [a reclaimed wood mantel] all add a lot of dimension in this space,” which she describes as transitional with clean lines.

In the primary bedroom, simplicity meets sophistication, echoing the homeowners’ desire for a space that was both inviting and unpretentious. “It’s soothing and warm and the colors are beautiful, and it’s just relaxing to walk into the bedroom,” the homeowner says. “It’s a little oasis.”  SP

Featured image: Incorporating regional artisans and vendors is a priority for designer Jena Bula. In the family room, custom chairs are from Coley Home, and the sheer draperies are from Chancery Custom. The pottery pieces in the built-ins were made by the homeowner’s mother.