Decorating & Design
March 2, 2017
See What Happens When A Hockey Star Hires A Top Design Firm
The life of a professional hockey player means moving at the drop of a puck, but retired two-time NHL All-Star Jason Arnott is now settled in Dallas with his wife, Dina, and their two kids, Chase, 12, and Lola, 6. Drafted as a 19-year-old to the Edmonton Oilers, Jason played for the Dallas Stars for four years and was eager to return to the city’s warm weather and devoted sports fans. The Canadian couple built an 8,100-square-foot home designed by award-winning local architecture firm Stocker Hoesterey Montenegro. Dina, who attended the Parsons School of Design for urban planning and interior design, describes the home’s look as “rock star … with family. A Mick Jagger-style Brit estate with lush English gardens, floral wallpaper and contemporary art.”
Click through to see the space designed by Michelle Lloyd Bermann and Christine Ralphs of Toronto’s Lloyd Ralphs Design.
Though the home is only a couple of years old, the plantings look established. Beds of pink rosebushes and climbing plants bordered by manicured boxwood hedges add softness to the pared-back stucco exterior.
Two arched windows frame the fireplace and a painting by Terrell James, and set the stage for the perfect symmetry of the living room. Extra-long 10′ sofas are deep enough to host a crowd of athletes.
In Jason and Dina’s living room, a work by Frank Stella is flanked by two vintage Italian chairs. The piece is Dina’s most treasured possession (Jason’s is his Stanley Cup ring). The couple had an ice machine built into the Arcadia console (right) by Lawson-Fenning to turn it into a bar.
Dina helped select the customized greyed stain for the herringbone floors, which, along with simple iron doors and windows, add a touch of European character to the home.
A white oak ceiling and well-worn vintage leather furnishings make this home office a masculine retreat for Jason. The artwork by London street artist Ben Eine references Jason’s leadership while in the NHL.
In the kitchen, luxurious Himalayan white marble backsplash return wraps around the cooking area and contrasts the black hood.
Designers Michelle and Christine ensured the black cabinets were given brass accents to coordinate with Dina’s beloved black La Cornue stove. A large island houses appliances and the sink.
This covered, open-air seating area overlooking the pool (and equipped with hidden, motorized mosquito screens) is Jason’s go-to spot to catch the game, or to review hockey footage while scouting for the St. Louis Blues.
A dark wall color in the dining room gives the space intimacy, while a vintage Italian chandelier and leather chairs add a luxe note.
Big slabs of Statuario Venato marble and a striking portrait by Thomas Saliot (foreground) create a dramatic statement in the home’s entryway. A custom-designed iron railing echoes the rectangular lines of the windows.
An ebonized table is as artistic as the painting above it. “I think art defines a home, and it doesn’t have to be the most expensive piece,” says Dina.
In the principal bedroom, a snowflake-like chandelier looks ethereal against the cerused pecky cypress wood ceiling.
In Dina’s boudoir, hand-painted Gracie paper is an elegant nod to the wallpaper’s popularity in the South. The floating vanity is built into the window well for maximum daylight when applying makeup, while toiletries are stored in Dina’s “mini Sephora” floating cabinet to the right.
Lola’s request for “painted rainbows” was eschewed in favor of this classic Quadrille print in her bedroom. “I gave her 15 swatches and let her pick the color instead,” says Dina.
In daughter Lola’s bathroom, a pink wall color softens the grey marble tiles, while a pretty circular window in the tub enclosure has a fairy-tale quality.
The saltwater pool is simply landscaped with the lawn running up to the pool deck.
Nathan Schroder
House & Home November 2016
Michelle Lloyd Bermann and Christine Ralphs, Lloyd Ralphs Design