Kansas City native Adam Kincaid and his partner, Michael Noonan, had been living in Chicago and thinking about moving to Kansas City. The pandemic escalated their plans. “Covid hit the fast-forward button on a lot of things around that time,” Kincaid says. “It definitely sped up our timeline on moving.”
The couple started checking the real-estate listings more seriously. When a capacious stucco home in a preferred neighborhood popped up, Kincaid asked his parents to take a look. “My dad is not quick with compliments, and when he saw the house, he was adamant that we buy it,” Kincaid says. “That was a good sign.”
The couple traveled to Kansas City to see the house in person.
“When we first saw it, it seemed like a bit more work than we wanted to take on,” Noonan says. “But this is Adam’s passion, and what he saw was a great opportunity.”
The house is Kincaid’s fourth renovation. “This house offered a great chance to flex my skills in renovation and design,” he says. “It’s the biggest project that I’ve done.”
After they took possession in September of 2020, they gave tours to family, friends, and craftspeople, and the feedback was unanimous. “Everyone who was familiar with the structure of the house said the same thing. ‘The bones are really great,’” Noonan says. “You take the bad with the good.”
They started by making plans for the kitchen and bathrooms, which had not been updated in a couple of decades. Wisely, Kincaid began to order materials soon after the couple took possession. “I knew everything was going to take a long time,” Kincaid says. “So, I had ordered everything by December.”
They were fortunate to be at the beginning of the supply-chain delays that plagued many renovators during the pandemic. “I think we did luck out in some ways,” Kincaid says. “And the renovation took over a year, so we really didn’t have any hiccups.”
While the footprint of the house remained largely the same, the interiors were completely reimagined. “Before the pandemic, Michael and I would go to New York every year and we’d stay at the Baccarat Hotel,” Kincaid says. “The hotel played a big role inspiring the living room and bar areas.”
Primarily white with graphic black accents, the rooms are enhanced with the sparkle of Baccarat crystal, while the dark-stained floors anchor the spaces. The clean lines of the living room upholstery are accented with the gleam of chrome. The company of the glossy black Philippe Starck Ghost chair with a Fornasetti pillow and the Eileen Gray table add classic modern elements. A Baccarat crystal candelabra provides additional sparkle. “The mix is really important to me,” Kincaid says. “I like to keep everything white, and then add those perfect antiques, easels, and bowls.”
The dining room repeats these elements, but here the arches of silver are overhead in the contemporary light fixture, happily juxtaposed with the organic sculpture on the sleek table. The vintage painting above the console provides additional depth and texture. As they brought most of the furniture with them from Chicago, decorating was not the most challenging part of the project.
“The kitchen and the bathrooms obviously took the most time,” Kincaid says. The couple decided on a classic white kitchen. Professional appliances turn up the heat, but the generous island makes room for friends and family to gather. The primary bath isn’t large, but glam details, such as the pair of deep Carrara marble sinks poised on hammered-iron bases and the sleek frosted-glass curbless shower make a stunning statement.
“This definitely was not love at first sight,” Noonan says. “But we have a solid group of friends, and it will be great to be able have everyone here.
The It List
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RWS Remodeling
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J’Adore Home and Garden
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Christopher Filley Antiques
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