MODERN VISION by KERRIE KENNEDY / photography ALISON GOOTEE DESIGNER VIKKI LEFTWICH BRINGS A FRESH AESTHETIC TO FOLSOM 104
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When Cindy and Bo Sibley purchased a heavily wooded, 40-plus acre lot in Folsom, Louisiana, their original plan was to build a classic Southern home, genteel and stately, reminiscent of an A. Hays Town design. They enlisted New Orleans architect George Hopkins, who studied under Town, to help them. But then Hurricane Katrina came along and nearly leveled their oncewooded lot, uprooting some 200 mature hardwood trees from the 60-yearold forest. With their property permanently transformed, so was their vision. After Katrina hit, we suddenly had these long vistas, Cynthia says. I wanted a house that could capture those views something more minimalist, but at the same time organic and soft. Enter Vikki Leftwich, an interior designer with a Modernist approach, a less-is-more aesthetic, and a passion for clean lines. When Cynthia approached me about working on this house, she brought along a book with photographs of furniture that she liked, Leftwich recalls. I immediately said, Oh my God, this is amazing she likes Holly Hunt furniture! For Leftwich, owner of Villa Vici home furnishings and design shop on Magazine Street, projects like this are a rare treat, especially in a town celebrated for its historic architecture and traditional design. To be able to work with a great architect and a client who trusts your aesthetic well, it was just incredible, she says. 106
In the beginning, however, there was a little hesitation. When I told Cynthia I wanted the walls to be white, she said, Well, then we need accent walls, Leftwich recalls. Knowing white walls were the best way to showcase the home s contemporary lines, as well as Cynthia s showstopping abstract art collection, Leftwich prevailed, with not a dreaded accent wall in sight. I just knew she would agree with me, Leftwich says confidently. Keeping in mind Cynthia s wish for décor that was contemporary but not cold, Leftwich took her cues from the palette outdoors and installed soft, gray-green limestone floors throughout the three-bedroom main house and the one-bedroom guest cottage. The grounds are so beautiful, and the home has so much glass, you really feel like you re living outside, Leftwich says. There are two glass hallways on the main floor one leading to the master bedroom and another to the office so even when you re walking through the home, you feel like you re walking outside. For some people, living in a big house on 40 sprawling acres might sound lonely, but for the Sibleys, who host guests at least one to two weekends every month, it s anything but. I love to entertain and I love to cook, says Cynthia, who maintains a quarter-acre organic garden on the property in order to delight her guests with modern, light interpretations of traditional Southern cuisine. 107
Not surprisingly, the couple gave special attention to the home s guest quarters. These spaces weren t afterthoughts, Cynthia says. We built the house with a lot of thought given to the experience of a houseguest. With no Sibley kids left at home, the two upstairs bedrooms in the main house act as guest rooms; two dramatic, wood-framed canopy beds in one of the rooms accommodate four frequent young guests. In the sitting room that connects the two guest rooms, Leftwich installed a coffee bar and a 16-foot sofa, so that guests who wake up early or retire late can enjoy themselves without waking up the rest of the house. The custom sofa comes from Villa Vici, as does all of the furniture throughout the house, including another 16-foot sofa in the guest cottage. Cynthia is not a shopper, so she really appreciated the fact that I was able to cull everything from my store, Leftwich says. She d rather focus on her guests, and find ways to make them feel special. From the home s media room complete with a popcorn machine and jars of candy that would make Willy Wonka envious to the striking infinity pool that looks as if it s been laid out on a silver platter, to the fully equipped fitness center, Leftwich and the Sibleys left no detail overlooked. This is a home with a purpose, and that is to entertain, Leftwich says. The Sibleys hospitality also extends to animals. Instead of thoroughbreds, their barn houses retired therapy and rescue horses. Longtime volunteers at New Heights Therapy Center, a Folsom-based equestrian center for people with disabilities and special needs (including veterans with PTSD; people with head injuries, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis; and even victims of human trafficking), the Sibleys lend their own horses to the center, bringing home the ones that need special attention and care. Being a therapy horse is very stressful, says Cynthia, an accomplished rider and former physical therapist. So I take care of them and spoil them. With three wedding events already under her belt, not to mention numerous fundraisers for New Heights and other local charities, Cynthia has no plans to slow down her entertaining schedule any time soon. Thanks to Leftwich, her vision has been realized, and she s busy sharing its rewards. I m so incredibly lucky to live here, Cynthia says. But what I love about this house is the love that happens here. 110
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The home was designed to capture its views, blurring the line between indoors and out. 113