Clay Venable was a flight instructor in Charlotte in 1993 when he met his wife Marie, who was one of his students.
“We met in the air,” Venable says.
The couple married in 2000 settling into a home in Mooresville, but they maintained a peripatetic lifestyle. Both Clay and Marie travel frequently, between his job as an airline pilot and her owning a software company, and after nearly 20 years of marriage they decided to simplify their lifestyle by transitioning from a house to a condominium. For many years, they had spent the winter months in a condominium on Paradise Island in the Bahamas and appreciated the high-end resort amenities that it offered.
“Our condo in the Bahamas had an elevator that opened directly into our foyer,” Venable explains. “We loved the luxury and the privacy, and I don’t think there was anywhere in Charlotte like that until they built the Watermark. The minute we saw it and how similar it was to our place in the Bahamas, we pulled the trigger.”
When the Venables purchased their condominium in the Watermark Community in Cornelius, North Carolina, the six-story building was not yet under construction. They knew they would need assistance with the build out and design of their new home, so they hired Cornelius-based designer, Amy Lee, to take the lead.
“We didn’t want the typical ‘southern charm’ style and liked that Amy had worked in New York and Atlanta,” says Venable. “Amy understood that we wanted something different and was excited about what we wanted to do.”
Originally from upstate South Carolina, Lee worked as an interior designer at architectural firms in Atlanta and New York City for many years before moving to the Lake Norman area to begin her own interior design business, Artistic Interior Design, in 2006.
“This is a very different project than most of my projects,” Lee notes. “They wanted a neutral base color palette with bold pops of color throughout. It gave me a new challenge and I was happy to take it on.”
The well-traveled couple’s desired aesthetic was inspired by the Aria Hotel in Las Vegas. The Venables visited the Aria regularly for nearly three decades and fell in love with its posh yet minimalist decor. Lee happened to be going to Las Vegas when she started their project and walked through the Aria to gain a better understanding of her clients’ design goals.
“The Aria has a very sophisticated vibe with lots of rich, luxurious colors, including this deep purple that the Venables loved and wanted to incorporate in their condo,” says Lee.
Lee created a neutral backdrop with bright white paint on the walls and had all of the furniture in the main living area—sofa, chairs, dining chairs and barstools—upholstered in the same creamy white fabric. She introduced statement colors through pillows, draperies, accessories and art. Lee also worked with her clients to select modern light fixtures and lamps that contribute to the sleek, sophisticated style.
“The challenge was layering all of these bold colors in the space and having them all work together while maintaining a calm, inviting environment,” Lee says.
The color palettes for the three bedrooms are more subdued and include a variety of pastels to create serene, restful spaces for the Venables and their guests.
“They wanted the bedrooms to feel like you’re in the Bahamas,” says Lee. “We used a lot of soft colors and art that gives each room a coastal feel.”
The Venables enjoy cooking and entertaining and regularly have family and friends over to their condo, so it was important to have an attractive home that is also comfortable and welcoming.
“Every time the elevator doors open into our foyer, we walk in and immediately relax,” Venable says. “I travel for a living, so when I come home, this is my sanctuary. It’s where I recharge my batteries. It’s my happy place.”