Home Sweet Homeworks: Amber & Brian

Mid-Century Roots, Modern Renovation

Amber Dunford is a close friend of Homeworks and one of the owners of B&A Creative, a styling studio with an eye toward intentional and discerning spaces, both at the office and at home. B&A provides an array of options for design services: it’s the perfect resource for those looking to refresh a room or two, change the kitchen paint color, or choose a few statement pieces that will set the tone for their favorite space. Getting started and choosing well can be intimidating, but this is precisely where Amber and her business partner, Britt, can help.

Company matters aside, Amber has a wealth of experience in the world of interiors, as she’s done everything from visual merchandising and art direction to teaching classes on the psychology of design (a course she developed for interior designers and architects). Her relationship with space is emotional and explorational—she believes whole-heartedly that one’s environment (more specifically, one’s distinct style and design) has a direct and massive impact on health and well-being. Naturally, we knew that her personal home, which she and her partner, Brian, have been remodeling over the last 4 years, would be one worth seeing for ourselves. 

The property in question is mostly mid-century in style. Built in 1959, it’s perched in Holladay, a neighborhood they never thought they’d find themselves in. But, as the saying goes, “when you know you know,” and upon finding it in 2020, they decided to take on the massive task of making it their own. We paid a visit to Amber to see the space and ask a few questions…

“I feel strongly that our homes should help us organize our emotions, enable us to feel emotionally held together, and reflect our personalities. My approach to design is rooted in that sentiment.”

How would you describe your preferences for your personal interiors in a few words? And what do you think led you to this? To the aesthetic you love?

I usually lead with, “How do I want to feel when I’m in my home,” which is different from room to room. It’s also really important to me to consider how others might feel when they’re here. When people say things like, “Oh just forget I’m here,” it's literally impossible for me to do. I want the music to be great, the lighting to feel comfy, the wine glasses to be full, and so on. I think from a young age I always paid attention to spaces and how they have the power to evoke emotions. Whether it’s the set design of a movie or the lobby of a dentist office, I have always taken note of my surroundings and how they make me feel. I find a lot of value in setting the mood for an event, even when the event is as simple as cooking dinner or taking a bath.

You put a LOT of sweat equity into this one, yes? How did you know where to start, and what are the changes you've made thus far?

We moved into this home when I was 7 months pregnant and we decided to tackle the floors right away (before a baby was in the picture), so we ripped out the laminate flooring and added hardwood. After our kiddo arrived and we experienced the sleep deprivation that comes with being new parents, we started referring to our bedroom as “the torture chamber”...and not in a cool, sexy way. We dreaded going in there because it was cramped and uninspiring, so we took on a pretty wild addition and added about 400 sq. ft. to the front yard to create a bedroom suite. Since then, it honestly feels like there's been non-stop projects around here. Luckily we’re both crazy project people, so it works for us. We have done a few plaster wall treatments, added ceiling beams, pulled out carpet and did Elastocrete on the basement floors, added new exterior doors, painted most walls, and completely gutted the front and back yard to remove the grass and do our own landscaping. Like I said, we’re crazy.

You've been a style director, interior stylist, visual merchandiser, environmental designer, and art director...so we're assuming your work history informs your design. How about for this home? Did it ALL come into play? Or is there one particular discipline that sort of inspires the path you took and how it all came together?

Being a stylist and art director kind of trains your eye to pay attention to details and how things work together at different angles. I’m used to looking at spaces through the eye of a camera, so I tend to fuss over the way objects overlap with one another and then back up to make sure it all works together as a complete space. Any interior stylist can probably relate to spending a ridiculous amount of time attempting to make a throw look effortlessly tossed over a bed. Having a child has really chilled me out in terms of perfection, however. Toddlers run wild—they don’t give a shit about your curated stack of books or neatly hidden cords. 

I also used to be a mental health therapist, and I currently do a lot of work in the field of design psychology, so I think having an understanding of how spaces impact our psyche has really guided my design decisions. I feel strongly that our homes should help us organize our emotions, enable us to feel emotionally held together, and reflect our personality. I’d say much of my approach to design starts from that sentiment.

What came first, the property or the neighborhood? In other words, did you have to compromise on one because you simply couldn't do without the other? Or did you love both equally from the start?

Honestly, we never envisioned ourselves this far south. We spent most of our adult lives Downtown and only entertained looking in this area after seeing—no joke—about 80 houses! A huge number of those were open houses we went to on our own (I promise we aren’t nightmare real estate clients). We offered on a few homes and didn’t get them, so we expanded our search and drove by this one a couple times before requesting a showing. I remember I could see an easel and a piano through one of the windows, and I made up an entire story in my brain about the owners being this eclectic older couple. One was probably an art teacher who primarily wore silk robes around the home and the other a retired therapist (talk about projection) who sipped morning coffee outside and played piano in the evenings. I started imagining myself living in the space and thought about it for days. The beautiful scrub oaks out front, the mysterious windows you could only catch glimpses into, the glow of lamp lights I caught during an evening drive-by. As cheesy as it sounds, I truly believe the right house finds you, and this one felt like it was waiting for us. It happened to be on the market for months, which I now know is a pretty rare thing in this neighborhood.

Tell us about your favorite room or space in the house. Where do you find yourself spending the most time? And what about the kiddo—does he seem drawn to any particular part of the home for play or quiet time?

I’m almost always upstairs in the living room or kitchen. As the cook in the family, I’m usually whipping something up while Remy is playing with his train set in the living room. We have a pretty open floor plan so upstairs gets a ton of natural light, which is probably why I’m drawn to that area. Those spaces are also the warmest in the house and I’m a bit like a lizard—lay me on a warm rock and I’m happy. We planted box gardens a few years ago and one is full of strawberries, so I find Remy out there quite a bit in the summer just snacking and having conversations with squirrels. 

My favorite spot in the summer is our bedroom addition. I love opening up the doors and laying in bed watching the sun go down behind a massive evergreen tree in our neighbor’s yard. It’s like a little mini vacation, until I get jolted back to reality by cartoons on full blast from the living room or Brian walking by with a crowbar to pitch a new project idea.

Any big plans for home that have yet to be executed?

I mean, I always say we need to pump the brakes on projects, but it never holds. We would love to remodel our bathrooms, and if a windfall of money somehow lands in our path, we definitely want to do the kitchen. We get so much light in that space: I’d love to go darker and rework the island situation to create more seating, since it tends to be where everyone gathers when we host. The basement is currently in progress, so I’d love to finish that up too. But for now, I think I’m mostly ready to just sit back and enjoy the house.