New Traditions 2010

With Paul Montgomery hand-painted panels wrapping the dining room, designer Alison Womack Jowers intentionally chose complement

Case in point is the George III sideboard, a wedding gift from her mother, as well as the coral silk panels at the windows. Chai

Throughout the house, the designer beautifully balances traditional style with contemporary touches and antiques with brand new

In the bar area, a blond ostrich fabric covers the walls, giving them a luxe look. “It’s fun to use in a small area,” says Womac

The breakfast room is anchored by a table made by local designer Erin O’Brien. “She did the base then we picked out a zebrawood

A detail of the coffee table.

Womack Jowers tries to take the same advice that she gives to her clients: Listen to your designer but go with your heart. “This

A Baker wing chair, covered in a Suzanne Rheinstein fabric from Lee Jofa, has an enviable fireside spot as well as a clear view

Over the fireplace, a circa-1850 French trumeau mirror commands attention.

The one exception to this home’s subtle neutral scheme can be found in the back hallway, where Womack Jowers upholstered the wa

Alison womack Jowers has created a home that stands up to the demands of family life without sacrificing couture~like detail

An antique desk, handed down to the designer from her mother, underscores a collection of antique intaglios.

When designer Alison Womack Jowers took on this Buckhead residence, it was already close to her heart. She was, after all, dating the homeowner, Jay Jowers.

“When we started, I didn’t know if I’d eventually be living here, too, or not!” she says with a laugh. But as the project progressed so did the relationship and, by the time the house was nearing completion, the two were engaged and eventually married. Thus, the designer was able to infuse some of her own personal preferences, as well.

That wouldn’t have been so easily accomplished if she hadn’t started with such a solid “canvas” based on a primarily neutral palette. It lends itself to a comfortable, make-yourself-at-home feeling but—at the same time—it’s smartly chic, too. “I wanted the house to have sophisticated design by using traditional elements, but with an edge,” the designer explains.

In the living room, for instance, neutral fabrics get added visual interest thanks to a variety of textures and the shapely silhouettes of the upholstered pieces themselves. At one end of the room, a pair of French chairs teams up with a sofa, their classic forms emphasized with nailhead trim. At the other, a pair of armchairs with softly curved backs—wrapped in silk—anchor the fireside seating area, quietly complementing a stunning Chinoiserie coffee table.

“It was made in the 1950s by a father-and-son team famous for Mid-century modern furniture,” Womack Jowers explains. “The artists describe it as ‘furniture as functional art.’ I immediately loved it, so much so that I bought it before I even researched it!” But part of the draw, she adds, was the father-and-son aspect—not surprising since she’s part of a mother-and-daughter design team herself. Womack Jowers and her mother, Cheryl Womack, own Womack Interiors.

The same neutral approach grounds the dining room, where a glass-top table is surrounded by chairs covered in a Jim Thompson silk horizontal strié. Not surprisingly, given her keen attention to detail, Womack Jowers gimped the chairs with a slight fringe edge to add textural interest. But the pièce de résistance in this room is unquestionably the Paul Montgomery hand-painted panels that line the walls. Initially chosen to reflect her now-husband’s love of birds and flowers, they also reflect the designer’s signature style of keeping things light. “I love Chinoiserie but nothing too bold or heavy,” she says, “and these panels begin the tone of softness that continues throughout the house.”

It’s that kind of twist on tradition that gives the entire residence its fresh appeal. It’s the green-and-white Michael Devine fabric that upholsters the walls of the back hallway. It’s the antique trumeau mirror in the family room that—unlike more typical painted and gilt types—has a casual wood finish that contrasts beautifully with the painted-brick fireplace. It’s even the subtle pops of yellow in the master bedroom, balancing the surrounding cool gray hues with just the right touch of warmth.

But, at the end of the day, what satisfies the designer most about this project? Not a treasured antique nor any design find, for that matter.

“What I like best is knowing that my husband is comfortable, relaxing in a chair in a room that he loves,” she says. “Knowing that everyone—children, guests and the dogs—are all comfortable. It puts a smile on my face.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Alison Womack Jowers. Cheryl Womack and Alison Womack Jowers, Womack Interiors, (404) 256-0704; womackinteriors.com