Wild at Heart - Jax Magazine February 2015

This page, from top: Daughter Sloan’s room is spacious and tidy now, but
her new baby sister will be bunking in shortly, and a big lesson in sharing
begins; The master bathroom boasts a drive-through shower and soaking
tub with a view; This balcony, tucked beneath the eaves, offers a private
place to enjoy the ocean view.
att’s office claims the second
room of the turret. His double
desk, sourced online and then
custom-made, lends an organic
flavor, while Matisse’s Son of
Man reminds him of all that’s hidden in plain
sight. Matt runs a software company and is a
“civic engager.” He sits on four boards, a commission
and the Mayoral taskforce for JaxPort.
(He credits his time management skills with
his ability to spend any time in that idyllic
space at all.)
Clever custom design ideas continue onto
the third floor. Tucked into the roof line, the
bedroom, bathroom and closet have interesting
angles to play with. The retreat includes a
sheltered private balcony, just big enough for
two Adirondack chairs that make for an ideal
perch on which to watch the sunrise. The
master bedroom features an accent wall of
ghost wood. Ghost wood boards come naturally
in 16-foot lengths so there are no joins in
this 15-foot space. It adds a rough, textured
finish without being expensive nor requiring
extra stain or seal.
Between the bedroom and the spacious
walk-in closet is a fun master bath, with
“drive-through shower” and a magnificent
slipper-back soaking tub with a view. Alexis
wanted a place she could relax with a great
view. This bath tub, in its own alcove, delivers.
The shower is called a drive-through
thanks to it being open at both ends. The ultimate
in practicality for the morning rush
hour, the shower’s large black tiles give it a
sleek modern look, and the marble tile floor in
herringbone pattern once more ties top to bottom
in design motif.
As you can see, Matt and Alexis are slow to
buy furniture. Partly because they like a distinctively
plain simple look, but mainly
because they prefer to acquire things over
time—things that will represent each era.
Right now, the Kanes have babies, and lots of
large plastic toys, rattles and ride-alongs. But
soon, as any parent will tell you, life will give
way to a whole new set of parameters.
Highchairs get replaced by balls, rackets and
surfboards; the ‘Sing and Play Farm’ gets
exchanged for American Girl Doll paraphernalia;
the LeapReader becomes a Nintendo
becomes an iPad. They have time for their furnishings
to evolve as need dictates.
He may not like moving, but Matt can be a
patient man. Fall of 1999, on campus at JU,
Matt opened with “You look really lost.” Now,
15 years later, he and Alexis are married, living
in their “forever home,” with a second
baby girl on the way. Dreams do come true. ]
For more articles written by Juliet Johnson, please visit http://JulietJohnson.com/clips
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