Savannah Residence is a Frisco new-construction home that functioned more like a renovation. Joshua Rice Design was brought in late to rework a previously designed luxury builder house that lacked character, clarity, and a stronger architectural point of view. Though the HOA-approved footprint could not shift by even an inch, nearly everything within it was reconsidered, making the project one of editing, correction, and refinement rather than decoration.

The goal was to transform a generic large-scale residence into something warmer, more architectural, and more personal. Layouts were reworked to improve flow, proportion, and the relationship between rooms, allowing the interiors to feel intentional rather than dictated by builder logic. Key spaces, especially the kitchen, primary suite, and bath, were redesigned to create stronger connections between material, light, and daily use. The project relies on restraint and specificity rather than overt luxury. Warm woods, tailored stonework, softened plaster tones, and carefully selected furnishings give the home a quieter sense of permanence. Lighting and custom detailing sharpen that language further, while layered textures add depth without visual excess. The primary bath became one of the defining spaces in the house, balancing clarity, atmosphere, and material presence in a way that helped establish the tone of the larger project.

Savannah reflects a recurring part of the studio’s practice: taking something structurally fixed and rethinking it until it feels coherent and fully resolved. Though technically new construction, the process was much closer to renovation, finding design opportunity within constraint and creating a home far more distinct than where it began.