Personal and Pretty

Natural Escape Located in the heart of Buckhead, the Tudor cottage is nestled into a verdant setting. “The gardens go on and on and have the feel of a secluded sanctuary,” says homeowner Mary Kate Hewes.

An inherited antique Windsor bench looks fresh with Currey & Company tortoise-and-brass sconces and a contemporary side table from B.D. Jeffries; dog Dallas looks on.

“Mary Kate wanted this house to have a more bohemian and collected look,” says Woodbery. Dining chairs upholstered in a Pierre Frey velvet and contemporary artwork by Sunny Goode add punch to a scheme that includes a Moattar rug, antique buffet from Bungalow Classic and custom Bradley dining table.

“We wanted the family room to be familiar yet stylish and modern at the same time,” says Woodbery. The tailored space shows off generous leather upholstery in shades of caramel and brown mixed with olive in the coffee table top and window treatments. “We also included an animal print and a floral batik in the pillows for a little bit of pizzazz,” says Woodbery.

“We wanted the family room to be familiar yet stylish and modern at the same time,” says Woodbery. The tailored space shows off generous leather upholstery in shades of caramel and brown mixed with olive in the coffee table top and window treatments. “We also included an animal print and a floral batik in the pillows for a little bit of pizzazz,” says Woodbery.

The breakfast nook features built-in seating along with leather chairs. Woodbery added pillows in a mix of patterns—an agate print and Swiss cross design—to enliven the space along with roman shades in a muted terra-cotta stripe by Carleton V. through Ainsworth-Noah.

Woodbery covered a sectional from the couple’s former residence in a Perennials fabric to make it suitable for outdoor living. “I went to a rug dealer and we had old rugs in need of repair made into pillows,” she says. “They play off the rug and window treatment in the billiards room.”

A metallic patterned wallpaper by Cole & Son through Lee Jofa adds a dose of chic to the powder room.

“The daughter wanted a room with black and navy, her favorite color combination,” says Woodbery. “We had a custom headboard made in a Ralph Lauren cut velvet that looks like a Persian rug. It makes a statement and pulls the palette together.”

Woodbery’s vision for the home included transforming the living room into a billiards space with bold blue walls and trim for distinct character. The designer also reupholstered two Barcelona chairs that the homeowner had held onto for 30 years. “They came from the 1970s showroom in my father’s Cadillac dealership, and I knew one day I would find a place for them,” says Hewes.

In the son’s bedroom, bolder color choices spring from a Steve Penley painting of Napoleon. The bed is Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams upholstered in a navy linen by Schumacher.

Water lilies, water hyacinth and aquatic grasses brought this pond back to life.

Renovations turned a dilapidated garden shed into a charming design studio for Mary Kate Hewes.

Serendipity was in play when Mary Kate and Joe Hewes discovered that a particular Buckhead house was on the market. Mary Kate had toured the property’s extensive gardens with her mother a decade before, and they had made a lasting impression on her.

 Though the grounds were overgrown, Mary Kate, a passionate gardener, knew she could bring them back to life, just like she knew that—with the help of interior designer and friend Shayelyn Woodbery—the inside could be transformed to express her creative spirit. “My old house never felt like me,” says Mary Kate, who worked previously as an art teacher and is now a jewelry designer. “I was always drawn to the English cottage style and quirky houses, and I knew this one could be turned into a little jewel box.”

 Saying goodbye to a larger family ranch home gave the empty nesters an opportunity to edit and choose their favorite pieces of art and most treasured family heirlooms to include in their new home. “That was probably the biggest challenge, deciding what would fit and work with the more eclectic style that we envisioned,” says Woodbery. The move also gave the couple an opportunity to think about how they wanted to live in this house. “I wanted everything in this house to be authentic and represent us,” adds Mary Kate. Eschewing tradition, they decided to turn the living room into a billiards and television space. “We use it a lot, and it’s a perfect spot for our kids to hang out with their friends, especially because it opens to the back porch,” says Mary Kate.

 While the house had previously been renovated to create a more modern layout, its design read dark and masculine, and needed a breath of fresh air. “We painted almost the whole house a soft white, with rich olive for doors and some trim, which made an instant difference,” says Woodbery, who refers to the interiors as “transitional with a good dose of tradition and a little edge.”

 Color and texture come through in the layering of patterns that Woodbery is known for—purple velvet in the dining room, animal print in the family room, and bold blue and orange fabrics in the billiards room. Shades of caramel and olive unite the spaces, while antique pieces, such as an ornate French mirror, have a fresh attitude. The design focused on comfort, too, with sink-in upholstery for the family room and richly patterned rugs underfoot. “Joe is just as crazy about it as I am,” says Mary Kate. “It reflects us and how we want to live at this stage in our lives.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Shayelyn Woodbery, Shayelyn Woodbery Interiors, (404) 271-5161; shayelyn.com