NASCAR Xfinity driver Brandon Jones gets enough traffic in his day job. So, when he and his wife Ashley were looking for a new home in the Charlotte area, he wanted to escape the hustle of Lake Norman's suburban lifestyle.
They found the perfect 30-acre property near Monroe, but its 80s-style house needed an update from the stomp textured ceilings and dentil crown molding. They turned to Sara Scott of Tailored Designs, who had been recommended by builder Alair Homes Charlotte.
Scott led a complete remodel of the 4,100 square foot four-bedroom home, starting with the kitchen, primary bath, laundry room and powder room and continuing with the living room, office and two upstairs bathrooms. A common thread throughout was a natural aesthetic.
“We wanted warm tones,” she says. “I think people are over the gray.”
The Joneses gave Scott the freedom to design in a style that’s “transitional with warm accents,” with some elements that are traditional and some contemporary.
“It’s a timeless design with cleaner lines,” Scott says.
In a light, bright kitchen, a mitered edge quartz countertop gives a more contemporary look, while the farmhouse sink and brass fixtures read traditional. Brandon wanted a built-in coffee maker, which was installed in the cabinetry along with a beverage cooler and a paneled Miele refrigerator.
The centerpiece of the kitchen is the Fittings metal stove hood with brass strapping. Scott found it at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).
“I posted it on my Instagram story and Ashley said, ‘We have to do that hood,’” Scott says.
Scott’s greatest design challenge in the project was in the living room, where the fireplace was off-center on the main wall.
“We weren’t going to move the fireplace, so we just wanted to give that room as much balance as we could,” Scott says.
They extended the stone tile to the left and reeded cabinetry to the right and updated the fireplace.
"I'll admit I was nervous," Ashley says. "It felt like a bold commitment, but the warmth and texture it brings to the space is incredible."
The Melange Grande Floating Disc light fixture by Visual Comfort brings a simple and modern accent. The built-ins were restyled with more elegant pieces. Jones’ NASCAR trophies and plaques were re-homed to the barn out back, where the couple lived during the remodel.
Perhaps as payback, Brandon got to make a focal point in his office of the most masculine item in the house: his gun safe.
“They were going to put it in the corner of the room, and I said ‘Let’s work it into the cabinetry,’” Scott says. “‘It’s so pretty. Let’s make it a statement piece for this room.’”
She added other masculine touches with a wood veneer York wallpaper on the ceiling, wire mesh on the cabinet fronts and an iron-framed chandelier by Arteriors.
“Ashley was jealous by the end,” Scott says. "She said, ‘I want this for my office.’”
The ‘80s architecture of the house was nowhere more evident than in the primary suite, where a seven-foot opening limited privacy between the bedroom and the bathroom. Scott was able to narrow the opening and redesign the bathroom with a double vanity and a spacious two-person shower with a floating bench.
She continued the warm tones of the rest of the house in a natural stone mosaic tile on the floor, a burnished brass and natural abaca light fixture by Visual Comfort, as well as a textured window treatment.
“We spent nearly two years working closely with (Tailored Designs) and it wasn’t just a renovation—it was a journey,” Ashley says. “What stood out from the beginning was how heard we felt. Even though we didn’t come to the table with a strong vision, they never made us feel lost. They helped us shape a home that reflects us in every corner—modern, warm and full of light. It feels like we’re in a brand new house but better because it’s ours.”
Getting settled seems to suit the Joneses. In April, Brandon won his first Xfinity race in three years, beating out Chase Elliott in Darlington, S.C. to break a streak of 98 races without a checkered flag. He collected more hardware for the barn.
"Since we practically live at the racetrack, it was important to have a separate space where we could unplug and truly feel at home," says Ashley.
.
They helped us shape a home that reflects us in every corner—modern, warm and full of light.