David Lindsey Finds Memphis Karma
by C.J. Kirkland
Last year, actor André Jackson made the decision to return to his southern roots after having been a Los Angeles transplant for the past ten years. His decision to purchase a home in Memphis came with several prerequisites on which he refused to budge. André wanted a home with good bones and great karma; he wanted a home that was structurally quite new, yet needed some work, so that his own taste and personality could be injected into the finished product. This home had to be in Harbor Town, with its sidewalks and ponds and neighborhood feel no other area in Memphis-or Los Angeles- provided him. After countless drives through the unique urban development during his visits to the city, he believed his prerequisites would be easily met. He was wrong. It would take an entire year of searching before finding The One and another several months before he acted on the gut instinct he felt when he first set foot in the house.
The house André now calls home did not make first cut during his initial property search on the internet. “The photos online didn’t offer what I was looking for,” he says. “The house looked very outdated and dark. Even if I overlooked the renovations it needed, I didn’t get that feeling deep down that it was meant for me.” A visit to the house in person changed his mind. “It was the third house my realtor showed me. We walked in and I got a really good vibe from it. I felt very peaceful and calm as I walked around. But I still wasn’t sure about how I could transform the drab interior into that personalized space to which I could escape when I didn’t need to be in LA for work.” The task of personalizing the house proved to be more daunting than both the find and purchase combined. That’s where the vision and expertise of local interior designer David Lindsey took root- and remained firmly planted until the house blossomed into a home.
David’s mission was to take this structurally sound, peace-invoking shell of a house and turn its drab interior into an artist’s retreat. His first assignment: tackle the archaic kitchen and redesign the downstairs living area to allow for one open space, as opposed to smaller, separate spaces. “The first thing I suggested was to knock down the bar separating the kitchen from the dining and living space. The kitchen countertop was then widened and a custom dining table was built, extending out from the new countertop. I selected Brown Marinace granite from Brazil that we used for both the kitchen counters and the table, allowing for a seamless transition between the spaces. One reason I was drawn to this particularly beautiful granite was its unique pebble pattern throughout. It seemed perfect for a creative person such as André.”
Selecting the granite was not difficult for David but obtaining a large enough slab for all of the countertops and table was. David is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to his work for clients. He twice rejected slabs that were shipped in from other parts of the country and then waited four months for the right slab to finally make its way to Memphis, directly from South America. For André, David’s attention to detail and persistence paid off.
“When I have guests over the first comment is always about the granite. Ninety five percent of my guests have never seen anything like it. It really is the focal point of the main living space.”
André jokes that he must have a surplus of good karma, after finding both the perfect home and the perfect interior designer. “Yeah, I’ll have to keep a little stored up, though. David has yet to tackle the upstairs master suite.”
The house André now calls home did not make first cut during his initial property search on the internet. “The photos online didn’t offer what I was looking for,” he says. “The house looked very outdated and dark. Even if I overlooked the renovations it needed, I didn’t get that feeling deep down that it was meant for me.” A visit to the house in person changed his mind. “It was the third house my realtor showed me. We walked in and I got a really good vibe from it. I felt very peaceful and calm as I walked around. But I still wasn’t sure about how I could transform the drab interior into that personalized space to which I could escape when I didn’t need to be in LA for work.” The task of personalizing the house proved to be more daunting than both the find and purchase combined. That’s where the vision and expertise of local interior designer David Lindsey took root- and remained firmly planted until the house blossomed into a home.
David’s mission was to take this structurally sound, peace-invoking shell of a house and turn its drab interior into an artist’s retreat. His first assignment: tackle the archaic kitchen and redesign the downstairs living area to allow for one open space, as opposed to smaller, separate spaces. “The first thing I suggested was to knock down the bar separating the kitchen from the dining and living space. The kitchen countertop was then widened and a custom dining table was built, extending out from the new countertop. I selected Brown Marinace granite from Brazil that we used for both the kitchen counters and the table, allowing for a seamless transition between the spaces. One reason I was drawn to this particularly beautiful granite was its unique pebble pattern throughout. It seemed perfect for a creative person such as André.”
Selecting the granite was not difficult for David but obtaining a large enough slab for all of the countertops and table was. David is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to his work for clients. He twice rejected slabs that were shipped in from other parts of the country and then waited four months for the right slab to finally make its way to Memphis, directly from South America. For André, David’s attention to detail and persistence paid off.
“When I have guests over the first comment is always about the granite. Ninety five percent of my guests have never seen anything like it. It really is the focal point of the main living space.”
André jokes that he must have a surplus of good karma, after finding both the perfect home and the perfect interior designer. “Yeah, I’ll have to keep a little stored up, though. David has yet to tackle the upstairs master suite.”