By Jon Shoulders // photography by Angela Jackson
Their home does them justice
It’s somewhat difficult to pin down just what style designation or category encapsulates B.J. and Brandi Justice’s Greenwood home. There’s a bit of the modern, a touch of the transitional, even hints of restoration chic. Nevertheless, Brandi knows how to sum it up in succinct terms.
“It’s me,” she says with a laugh. “We knew what we wanted, and we had a vision for our own look and our own style, and we went with it. I don’t really have a certain kind of design interest, but I love fun.”
The six-bedroom home stands as proof that a pragmatic approach to floor plan design doesn’t preclude aesthetically pleasing results. The Justices brought Mike Duke of Bargersville-based Duke Homes on board for their new build in 2017 and drafted the initial floor plan design around their day-to-day lifestyle expectations for the main level.
“We spent a long time together with Mike telling him everything we wanted, and he made up the design based off of that with some of his own input,” B.J. explains. “We wanted an open concept, and we knew that if we wanted a big, open main area we would have to put the closed-off rooms on one side or the other. So it all started with the main floor.”
Duke based his ground-level floor plan on the Justices’ wish for around 2,000 square feet of open space for hosting friends and family; the second floor and basement designs followed organically from the ground level layout.
“We’re used to basing everything around the main level, but I enjoyed this project a lot because it was a one-of-a-kind plan that we put together to fit their lot and fit their lifestyle,” Duke says.
“Brandi has certain tastes, B.J. has certain tastes and the kids have different activities they do, so we tried to come up with something that’s a little bit for everybody and tie it all together.”
As frequent hosts for family and friend gatherings, the couple knew that an open, spacious ground level was a must.
“We wanted a big area where everyone could be in multiple places, but all feel like they’re together,” Brandi says. “That’s how we got the living room, the entry, the dining room and the kitchen. Then Mike designed the basement based off of how the structural supports were laid out for the upstairs.”
Color play
When the time came to consider a color scheme for the home, which spans just over 11,000 square feet, the Justices opted for grays, tans and whites as a base. Well-placed pinks and blues meet the eye by way of furniture, paint and artwork.
“We wanted neutral, but then I wanted it girly, so we have these pops of color that come out of the real neutral tones like the hardwood flooring,” Brandi says. “We told the builder that they would be doing everything super neutral, and then I would come in with the fun, colorful stuff. Mike told us we weren’t going to like it, but then when he was done he said he loved it.”
The basement level serves as a family hangout space through the winter months with a spare bedroom, full bathroom, kitchen and bar area, and big-screen TV for sports games and movie nights.
“Our last home was super modern, and we liked it, but we didn’t want it quite as modern this time around,” Brandi explains. “It was nice to make it just what we wanted and not be tied to a certain look all the way through every room and every space.”
A climate-controlled sunroom with a TV, fireplace and fully retractable doors looks onto the patio and backyard space, which is directly accessible from both the master suite and kitchen, and where a pool, hot tub, half basketball court and trampoline all see constant use once warm weather hits.
“All the doors pull back in the sunroom, so they can all be out there as a family comfortably or host people in there,” Duke says. “It was fun designing the outside living so that it flowed right off the main level and off that sunroom.”
The second floor’s four bedrooms and four bathrooms for the Justices’ children, Elle, 11, Jackson, 8, Brady, 6, and Tanner, 3, further illustrate the couple’s interior design approach of unique accents and judicious use of bold colors, which stand out from an otherwise sensibly neutral color palette.
“Elle’s room is where I really got creative and let my love for pinks and fun colors run wild. It’s all stuff that she likes, and mommy likes too,” Brandi adds. “Mike’s team custom-made the Kate Spade bows and different accents like that. We couldn’t do what we did in that room all through the house because it would be a bit overwhelming, but we love that room.”
And the living is easy
As an orthopedic surgeon currently practicing at OrthoIndy in Greenwood, B.J. stresses the benefits of southside living, both from a professional and a familial standpoint.
“Brandi and I are both from here and met at Greenwood High School, so it’s home,” he says, adding that they are both IU Bloomington grads and spent six years in San Francisco during his orthopedic residency before returning to the Midwest. “All our family and friends are here. And it’s great treating teachers, coaches and friends right here where I grew up. I get to take care of people who have known me since I was a kid.”
The couple cites Greek’s Pizzeria and Tried & True Alehouse as two of their favorite southside culinary haunts. They spend much of their free time staying involved with their kids’ sports and cheer activities.
“My best friend from high school lives five houses down, and we’re raising our families together,” Brandi says. “You just don’t quite get that in other parts of the city. People on the southside love it here and tend to come back after school or after working somewhere else for a while.”
The couple now regularly takes advantage of their home’s open concept and optimal room-to-room flow by hosting parties, casual gatherings with friends and birthday bashes for the kids.
“We’re still in the process of finishing some things up, like getting some additional furniture and wallpaper, but we feel like it all has come together,” Brandi says. “That’s the good thing about designing it like we did with a neutral base, because we can always go in and add pops or flourishes and keep a good balance.”
