The principal and founder of Studio Thomas James in Dallas had already worked on two homes for a local couple when they brought him on to help with their third home, a new build with space for their two young children.
“Their last house had this slightly East Coast look to it,” says Vanderford. “The homeowner kept saying that was her taste, but when I really dug in to do this house, we realized that look was familiar and comfortable but not really her taste at all. So we started from scratch, and it was really interesting pulling out what they really gravitated toward and comingling their looks.”
Like his clients, Vanderford is a Southerner. He was born in Arkansas and attended the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.
“Where I grew up, there was a lot more of an antique-collector’s mentality. It was more traditional,” he says. “Dallas has a little bit more edge. We definitely have a lot of Spanish influence, and you see that in indoor-outdoor spaces, stucco and tile, and the type of stone we use. We get a little bit of cowboy here. It’s not super obvious; maybe it’s just a cowhide rug done in a chic, subtle-nod way.”
Though Vanderford says there’s a Spanish vibe to the architecture of the five-bedroom, eight-bath home, he took his cues for the interior from what his clients wore, what they drove, where they vacationed, and which hotels they stayed at. “This home very much represents their personalities. It’s very them. We really captured their essence,” he says.
Their point of view overlaps with his own. “My work is extremely varied. I really try to do what I think is best for the architecture and the client. But one amazing thing about these particular clients is that our tastes are very similar,” says Vanderford. “It‘s fun when you get to work on something where most of what you’re doing is what you would do for yourself.”