Nestled away in Short Hills, New Jersey, Hartshorn Drive has immediate curb appeal. Photo credit: Christian Garibaldi
Spec homes have a reputation for being blank slates, almost cold, but Etai Har-El, owner of Moore Development & Construction, has made building concept homes a unique and collaborative process that is part personal touch, part synergy amongst a networked team. Together with architect Daniel Dubinett, designer Lara Allen-Brett, and Short Hills Marble & Tile’s Adrienne Gallmann, a parcel of land in idyllic Short Hills, New Jersey was transformed into a 4 million dollar home - Hartshorn Drive.
Stylistically, the team encompasses the best of every design aesthetic, creating a niche market for city dwellers transitioning to suburban living. “Etai’s style is timeless with a modern flair,” said Adrienne, one of Short Hills Marble & Tile’s resident designers. With an education in interior design and over 16 years working in the tile industry, the last 10 of which she’s been with Short Hill’s Marble & Tile, 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. “I have a stable or portfolio of ideas for new homes that I hang on to.” said Etai. “When we purchased the property, there was a specific house that I had in mind, an aesthetic that I thought would work really well on that street.”
Rather than designing specific homes for clients, Etai’s vision is at the center of each property, and together each stakeholder works toward a common vision starting at the blueprint phase. “Too late in the process, the designer has to pigeonhole what they want into a pre-existing area. As opposed to earlier in the process where Adrienne can say ‘We have this idea for tile, if we can widen the bathroom by six inches, it will lay out perfectly.’ The end result is much more seamless.”
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The main floor alternates 12" x 24" and 24" x 24" Glass Thassos to create an offset pattern across the large Principal Bathroom floor.
Photo Credit: Christian Garibaldi.
Traditionally spec homes are blank canvases, ready for a new homeowner to make their mark, but for Etai, Adrienne and the team, Hartshorn Drive was sold for a cool $4 million move-in ready. They hand-select the perfect stone and tile marrying traditional and modern for a unique vision, adding an eclectic mix of homes to suburban areas like Short Hills. For the home's Principal bath, Adrienne turned to their in-stock material for the main floor, shower floor, shower wall, and vanity backsplash. "For the main bath, I wanted to keep it a very clean, white palette and add in 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!"
The open concept kitchen invites you to sit and stay. The design for the ceiling scraping
3" x 12" Calacatta Gold Honed marble backsplash was based off a previous spec home
Adrienne and Etai collaborated on. Photo Credit: Christian Garibaldi.
When many designers and architects go with the status quo, Etai’s team is eager to try new interiors and finishes, putting 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 balanced classic marble colors laid out in modern patterns for an edge that won't feel outdated, like the open concept kitchen with panoramic 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. Imported from the Borghini quarry, one of the oldest operating quarries in the Carrara region of Italy, Calacatta Gold is stocked by Short Hills Marble & Tile. While 2020 presented a unique set of challenges, accessing high quality luxury stone was not one of them.
Marble two ways adds character to each guest bath. 3" x 6" Dynasty White and
Bianco Carrara blend into each other for a subtle linear pattern while 3" x 12" Ice White and
Capri Blue create a classic checkerboard. Photo Credit: Christian Garibaldi.
With seven bathrooms, it can be challenging to differentiate each space and not be redundant, all while balancing the overall aesthetic of the home. "I love pattern - 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 palette of white and grey, Adrienne set to work creating seven concepts, mixing sizes, layouts, and finishes to create an airy, contemporary vibe. In a bathroom adjoining one of the bedrooms, Adrienne opted for combining two stocked marble series - 3”x6” Dynasty White and 3”x6” Bianco Carrara from their in-stock product offering - laid 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." A first floor guest bath received similar marble love, this time in the form of 3”x12” Ice White and 3”x12” Capri Blue in a checkerboard pattern floor and Capri Blue Penny Rounds in the shower, all imported from Italy and stocked by Short Hills Marble & Tile.
The majority of the marble stone and tile that now adorns the interior of this luxury dwelling was sourced from Short Hills Marble and Tile’s in- stock catalog, which can be found inside our new sample boxes for easy visualization by homeowners and professionals alike.
One box, endless design possibilities. Request the new The Stone Collection designer sample box today.
Hartshorn Drive shines as an example of partnership and collaboration. Despite the unique challenge that was 2020, Etai’s innovative approach to building spec homes brought to life a model home with a personalized feel and seamless design. Short Hills Marble & Tile is excited for our upcoming collaboration with Etai on a far more modern home featuring steel, glass, and concrete.
Schedule an appointment with the Short Hills design team to bring your vision to life: Click here
For designers and architects looking to follow a similar collaborative approach, sample boxes are a great way to integrate partners and teams from the start.
Enjoy our slideshow of Hartshorn Drive
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