Playing Architect

A homeowner has a modern vision for a traditional home.

- Alyssa Ruane

WAYNE SMITH’S BUCKET LIST was modest, with one peculiar item: He wanted to buy an older house and remodel it to be supremely “Wayne.” See, Smith is particular about what he likes, and his eye for design is keen. So, what does a “Wayne” house look like?

Sleek, modern, and open. 

The exterior of Smith’s home—a two-story structure in Myers Park, built in 1951—is still as traditional as ever, a quaint façade dressed with quintessential Southern window shutters. The home’s interior was just as traditional until Smith purchased it in August 2014. The Charlotte native had spent a year searching the city for a home with all the right features—a solid structure being one—for his grand bucket list remodel, and he finally found his Cinderella.

Smith is the chairman of his family’s business, Smith Turf & Irrigation, but “I like to think I’m an architect,” he jokes. It’s not just his imagination, though; he’s got the talent to back it up. Walking through Smith’s 4,600-square-foot home, he’ll tell you exactly how each feature came to be: “Well, I just wanted it. I had a vision for it.” Of course, his visions couldn’t become reality without an actual architect, so he called in the help of architect Sam Greeson of Meyer Greeson Paullin Benson and project manager Bryant Rogers of Andrew Roby. Greeson is a friend of Smith’s—they attend a weekly dinner club together—so Greeson is familiar with Smith’s quirks and vision for design.