In the heart of Zionsville’s Holiday Farms—where architectural ambition meets handcrafted finish—one of our favorite collaborations began before the drywall even went up. The homeowners invited our team to join the process while their custom build was still on paper, giving us the rare opportunity to design trim work that wasn’t an afterthought but part of the architecture itself.
They had a clear vision: a home with openness and vertical drama, but none of the noise that oversized design trends bring. They asked for something balanced, quiet, and lasting. The result was a soft‑modern wall treatment that flows seamlessly with staircase lines, metal railings, and the natural light that pours through the double‑height great room. Clean lines, perfect spacing, subtle depth—crafted to complement, not compete.
Designed Before the First Coat of Paint
Every great wall design starts with proportion. By beginning before construction was complete, we could study the spacing between stair risers, the angles of the railing, and how each beam intersected the open volume above. That coordination changed everything.
Instead of retrofitting woodwork onto finished drywall, we integrated the wall treatment into the framing and lighting plan. This allowed every joint, reveal, and seam to align precisely with the architecture around it. The goal wasn’t to fill space—it was to extend it.
Custom millwork panels were mapped to follow the staircase climb visually without breaking the rhythm of the open plan. Each line carries through uninterrupted, echoing both the geometry of the home’s metal railing and the symmetry in its window placement. The result is continuity—a design that feels inevitable rather than added.
The Language of Soft Modern
Soft modern is the middle path between minimalism and warmth. Where traditional modernism pares back until nothing is left, soft modern keeps character alive through balance and craft. It’s about restraint without coldness, precision without sterility.
In this Holiday Farms home, the language of soft modern speaks through rhythm rather than ornamentation. The wall boards are slender but perfectly spaced, each reveal casting just enough shadow to define form as daylight shifts throughout the day. We finished the surface in a subtle satin paint—muted enough to absorb light, refined enough to emphasize craftsmanship under close inspection.
No heavy contrast. No pattern for pattern’s sake. Just deliberate composition that harmonizes with the home’s steel railings and pale oak floors. The richer the architectural volume, the quieter the details need to be—and that balance is where this design lives.
Detail You Feel More Than See
At first glance, visitors see clean planes and flawless paintwork, not the countless micro‑decisions that make it look effortless. But look closer and the subtlety reveals itself: the joint spacing of the boards mirrors the gaps in the stair railing, the vertical proportions relate to the window mullions above, and even the nail patterns follow consistent geometry.
Those invisible alignments are what make the wall feel “right” without needing explanation. It’s craftsmanship meant to be felt, not announced. Every element works in service of proportion, connecting upper and lower levels in one visual gesture.
Lighting also plays an understated role. We coordinated fixture placement so grazing light highlights each reveal softly in evening hours. Instead of harsh downlighting, the design uses ambient glow to let the texture breathe. When sunlight shifts across the wall throughout the day, it behaves almost like architecture-sized artwork that changes moment to moment.
Built Entirely by Hand, Guided by Intention
Radford Woodworks handled all field design and fabrication on site. Every board, every seam, every reveal was measured against actual field conditions rather than relying solely on drawings. In homes this custom, installing trim is closer to sculpture than carpentry—adjusting millimeters at a time until lines meet perfectly.
Our craftsmen worked alongside the builder’s project team to ensure the finish schedule, lighting, and final painting sequence protected those tight tolerances. We believe millwork should outlast trends and reinforce architecture, not upstage it.
At completion, the wall became more than accent—it became orientation. It defines the space as you walk through it, drawing the eye upward without pulling attention away from the rest of the home.
A Collaboration in Patience and Precision
Holiday Farms attracts homeowners who care about the relationship between craft and design. This project worked because everyone involved, from framing crews to finish painters, understood that patience is what creates a sense of calm in built form.
By finishing the wall before furniture, art, or rugs entered the picture, the space developed a sense of completeness uncommon in new builds. When pieces later filled the room, they didn’t have to compete for importance—the architecture already carried its own quiet confidence.
This wall doesn’t shout to be noticed; it holds the room the way well‑played music holds silence. Balanced. Measured. Absolutely intentional.
A Reflection on Modern Craft in Holiday Farms
Design trends come and go, but proportion, light, and honesty in construction never age. This project ultimately reminds us that carpentry of any style—classic, transitional, or modern—isn’t about decoration. It’s about decisions repeated consistently enough that they read as clarity.
Soft modern trim like this honors both the builder’s structure and the homeowner’s vision. It lets the material—wood, paint, light—carry the story quietly. And it proves that even in grand spaces with soaring ceilings and dramatic railings, subtle craftsmanship still commands attention by doing less, but doing it perfectly.
