Spec homes have a reputation for being blank slates and a bit impersonal, but Etai Har-El, owner of Moore Development & Construction, with the help of a networked team, has made building concept homes a unique process filled with custom elements. Together with architect Daniel Dubinett, designer Lara Allen-Brett, and Allstone’s in-house residential designer Adrienne Gallmann, a piece of land in picturesque Short Hills, New Jersey transformed into a 4 million dollar home – Hartshorn Drive.
Traditionally spec homes are blank canvases for a new homeowner to put their touch on, but for Etai, Adrienne, and the team, Hartshorn Drive was sold move-in ready. The team’s styles encompass the best of every design aesthetic, creating a particular market for city dwellers looking to move to the suburbs. “Etai’s style is timeless with a modern flair,” said Adrienne. With an interior design degree and over 16 years in the tile industry, the last 10 of which she’s been with Allstone, Adrienne is a veteran who knows her way through a project. Together, the trio embarked on what would become Hartshorn Drive from one of Etai’s concept sketches.
Allstone’s stock perfectly fit Etai’s vision for the concept home. Etai and Adrienne hand-selected the perfect stone and tile linking together traditional and modern for an extraordinary outcome, adding a diverse mix of homes to suburban areas like Short Hills. For the home’s Principal bath, Adrienne turned to Allstone’s in-stock Glass Thassos for the main floor, shower floor, shower wall, and vanity backsplash. Glass Thassos has the look of classic white Thassos marble but is a cross between marble and glass. This allows it to still coordinate with many designs while being more durable and less maintenance than classic marble– perfect for a bathroom.
“For the main bath, I wanted to keep it a very clean, white palette and add warmth through the other finishes in the space. Our Glass Thassos is super modern and clean, and maintenance-free which is amazing because that space is large!” – Adrienne Gallmann, SHMT Showroom Manager/Designer
While many designers and architects stick to the status quo, Etai’s team is eager to try new interiors and finishes and put a fresh spin on contemporary homes. “It’s just a matter of finding the right people to work with,” Etai said. “Adrienne always pushes the envelope a little – she’s always forward-thinking, but with the market in mind. It’s a great process to collaborate on. It makes my job a lot of fun”. The design of the home brought in timeless marble colors laid out in modern patterns for an edge that won’t feel outdated, such as in the open concept kitchen with all-around views of a 3” x 12” Calacatta Gold subway tile backsplash.
“The Calacatta had a nice balance for the space with enough movement to contrast and emphasize the white cabinets, but also tie in and add warmth from the white oak accents on the range hood and island,” said Adrienne. Allstone’s Calacatta Gold is imported from the Borghini quarry, one of the oldest operating quarries in the Carrara region of Italy. Accessing high-quality luxury stone luckily wasn’t one of 2020s many challenges.
With seven bathrooms, it can be tough to keep their designs distinct from one another, while still incorporating the home’s overall aesthetic. “I love patterns – I see them everywhere, I dream of them – which makes it easy to come up with unique solutions and designs for our in-stock field tile,” said Adrienne. Sticking to a white and grey palette, Adrienne got busy creating seven concepts, playing around with sizes, layouts, and finishes to create an airy, contemporary vibe.
A first-floor guest bath received similar marble treatment in the form of 3”x12” Ice White and 3”x12” Capri Blue to create a checkerboard pattern floor with Capri Blue Penny Rounds in the shower, all imported from Italy to Allstone.
In one of the bathrooms, Adrienne chose to combine two stocked marble series – 3”x6” Dynasty White and 3”x6” Bianco Carrara from Allstone’s product offering – arranged in an offset stripe pattern. “Etai had a concept photo from Pinterest for this space that had a striped tile pattern and I was so excited to run with it. I love stripes; you look in my closet and you’ll understand.”
Photo Credit: Christian Garibaldi.
The majority of the marble stone and tile that now adorns the interior of this luxury residence is from Allstone’s in-stock catalog, which can be found on the Allstone website.
Hartshorn Drive has proved that spec homes can be luxurious when paired with posh construction, architecture, and design selections. This concept home aims to alter the cold reputation of spec homes and provide it with a fresh, sophisticated view. Allstone is excited to continue providing architects and designers with high-quality, exclusive lines of stone and tile.
Check out our full line of marble & stone at shorthillstile.com.