Beauty in the Rough

It’s been nine years since Andrea and Daren dug their way into their beloved home, but they are certainly as inspired today as they were the moment they crossed the threshold. Armed only with a single, online photo of the 1964 Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home, they made their way to see the mid-century find one winter day, and a few feet of snowdrifts weren’t going to stop them from seeing it firsthand—let alone dampen their adventurous spirits.

While the couple may not have known the scope or length of the transformation that lay ahead for them, they knew one thing—this beautiful, blank slate of a house was meant for their family. “When I walked up, it was just this gut feeling, and I knew this was it,” says Andrea.  

Dividing her time today as both an artist and stay-at-home mom—two roles she is very passionate about—Andrea has been a self-prescribed thrift store junkie and repurposer since she was a teenager. It’s no wonder then, that a mid-century gem designed by Donald Scholz in the middle of Warsaw, Indiana would call her name. She’s had that eye for seeing beauty, form and art in the unexpected for a long time. Dated colors from an era long gone, ancient carpeting and dusty blinds weren’t going to deter her. In fact, her and Daren’s vision would lead to more than a cosmetic makeover. Their efforts resulted in a gorgeously revamped space that preserves the home’s original architecture and sets it against the perfect stage of modern influence and comfortability. “We wanted to keep the integrity of the house as the owners intended,” says Andrea. “But we definitely put our own flair on it.”

Part of that personal design stamp includes Andrea’s non-serious yet intentional approach backed by her personal tastes and passion for fine art and antiques. “While my style has always been contemporary and bohemian, it’s more just artistic,” she says. “I’ve never been one style or another.” From the home’s light-filled, funky foyer where art and special finds collect to warmly welcome guests to the living room—a space graced by large floor to ceiling windows that frame the gorgeous, wooded backyard—to the artful serenity of the master suite, the home strikes an uplifting balance between beautiful architecture, interesting, modern art and a fun, eclectic mix of antiques and decor. 

A Labor of Love

With their young daughter in tote, the couple faced the initial challenge of gutting the house room by room to begin the home’s transformation, and all the various roadblocks that followed included budget constraints and even devastating water damage. Despite the obstacles, the architecture that at times seemed like a curse to Andrea and Daren, has evolved today into a family-friendly home that is as functional as it is beautiful. While its custom finishes and mid-century nature may have posed different challenges to the homeowners, they are just as appreciative now as they were when they first set their eyes on their home of the many unique aspects that make it a rare yet comfortable abode. The best part is, the house is ever changing.
Whether it’s a small endeavor such as repainting or infusing a different art piece, a total revamp of the master bedroom or plans to finally redesign the kitchen and butler’s pantry, the home’s journey isn’t over. “For me, that’s what I do,” says Andrea. “I hunt. I want to find cool stuff. I treat our house like a laboratory...I’m experimenting all the time. It’s not perfect, but that’s what I like.”

Art & Influence Collide

History, art and antiques all played an integral role early in Andrea’s life, and this is certainly reflected in her home’s style. Like any true artist, Andrea’s inspiration comes from many different avenues, including other artists and designers. She, especially, is a junkie for publications such as Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and Veranda. “These are the magazines we always had as kids—always,” she says. Even today, Andrea finds herself flipping through old issues. It doesn’t matter to her if they are from 1995 or current day because everything lends itself to inspiration after all. Even her grandparents were antique enthusiasts, and Andrea recognizes how that appreciation for the old wore off on her. In fact, she often thrifts with her mom by her side—another huge influence—as she, too, has a knack for interior design. She says, “My mom (my bestie!) and I tear up the pavement! We’ve recently found some great Oriental pieces of furniture and went back to the dealer two times this month.” While Andrea admits it’s hard to part with items when buying for a client, she loves thrifting because it is like finding hidden treasure. She sums up one of her most favorite hobbies by saying, “I know I’m not saving the world, but I like to think I’m giving meaning to something, and I feel like a keeper of sorts. It’s giving things that people have forgotten.”

Today, Andrea loves her role as an artist and equally enjoys all the different facets of that career, be it through art installations, interior design projects or collaborations with other businesses both locally and across the globe. While she’s currently aiming to do more interior and high design work, she humorously adds, “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Right now, I want to create art, I want to design, and why can’t I do both?” One thing is certain, however, Andrea prides herself on making her unique style her own.

And that particular style has gained a lot of attention. It takes just a quick glance at Andrea’s Instagram account of almost 38,000 followers to realize how wildly popular the artist is and how influential her work has been—whether it’s a glimpse into her own space or another space she’s designed. At the end of the day, however, Andrea just sticks to being herself. She says, “That’s what true style is. True style isn’t all elegance. It’s not all modern. It’s the juxtaposition between the two. That’s what life is. Life is a series of errors we are all connected to, right?...Or that we feel connected to. So, why shouldn’t our interiors reflect that?”

A Perfect Design Partnership

Andrea deeply feels any kind of success is not only due to her staying true to her own design instincts, intuition and desire to be different but to her design rock—the one who always encourages her to follow her passions—her husband. Though Daren is an orthopedic engineer by profession, his true love is carpentry. While she envisions, finds and designs, together they work hands-on to execute and make their own—and others’—dreams a reality. Andrea says, “I feel new generations have lost the skill of working with their hands. And I believe part of why I am so successful is because of my husband. If we don’t know how to do something, we learn it.” Whether it’s a kitchen island Daren crafts from milled wood for one of Andrea’s remodel projects or new, custom trim for their own home, Daren works hard alongside Andrea to continually reimagine spaces.

And yet another motivating factor behind the look and feel of their home is undoubtedly their two children. Andrea says, “I tell people you have to create an environment that your kids can excel in. You want your children to be nurtured by it. I want my kids to have at least some understanding of history.”

And lastly, Andrea and Daren truly enjoy calling the Midwest home. Andrea says, “There’s something about the Midwest that keeps us here.” But while they love their neighborhood and all the great things the area offers, Andrea still has soft spots for her favorite cities like Chicago—where she studied fine art and photography—and Nashville, partly because she loves the anonymity a large city offers. At the end of the day, her home is truly where her heart is. She says, “I like my cocoon. I like being home. I like creating.”