Classic Grace
Inviting, Southern sophistication revealed itself around every corner at the third-annual Southeastern Designer Showhouse
Scenic Beauty
Beth Webb, Beth Webb Interiors
“We wanted to embody everything that is Southern and everything we love about being from the Southeast and Atlanta,” says showhouse honorary chair Beth Webb. “I also wanted to do something that reeked of spring—fresh and feminine.” The room’s starting point was one of Schumacher’s new digitally printed Iksel papers, which wrapped the living room in a modern Chinois motif that, in tandem with the French doors, make it feel almost sunroom-like. An antique, robin’s-egg blue wire planter filled with geraniums drives this point home. While Webb’s work is not synonymous with color—she is better known for her finesse with texture and tone—the designer calls this muted pastel palette “gorgeous and a dream.” “If I’m doing wallpaper, I typically confine it to a powder room or smaller space, so [going big] is a testament to how much I like this paper,” she says. All fabrics are Schumacher, including the “retro-chic curtain panels that remind you of your grandmother’s bedspread.” Significant artworks, such as framed Picasso drawings, give the room a sense of gravitas, while an acrylic coffee table, fringed sofa and plaster-coated chandelier lend lightness. “It’s pretty, not prissy,” Webb says. –Kate Abney
WALLCOVERING Iksel Imperial Garden, through Schumacher DRAPERY FABRIC Schumacher DRAPERY FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION Douglass Workroom PLASTER-COATED CHANDELIER Stephen Antonson through Ainsworth-Noah JUTE RUG Merida ITALIAN TOLE TULIP LAMPS, FRENCH CHARLES MIRROR, THREE-TIERED WIRE PLANTER, CHINESE CELADON FLOWER POTS Parc Monceau FRINGED SOFA Conrad sofa, Schumacher ACRYLIC COFFEE TABLE & UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIR Schumacher PAIR OF UPHOLSTERED BENCHES Schumacher RATTAN ARM CHAIRS Parc Monceau and Schumacher SIDE TABLES Billy Baldwin Studio through Travis & Company FRAMED WORKS BY PICASSO AND DEGAS Spalding Nix Fine Art ADDITIONAL DECORATIVE ACCENTS Parc Monceau, Bungalow Classic and Townhouse by Robert Brown MANTEL Materials Marketing
Glam Statement
Phillip Sides, Phillip Sides Interior Design
Montgomery designer Phillip Sides planned out this room in a matter of minutes. “I’d never had anything come together so easily before,” he says. “When that happens you know you’ll end up with something strong.” Sides looked to a favorite antiques dealer in England for anchor pieces such as the mid-century Italian dining table and period Regency dining chairs featuring an original painted finish and gilt details. “Dining rooms can get boring when they’re full of brown furniture,” he says. “By making everything in the space pretty much white, those wood pedestals really came to life.” Atop these towers, Sides set tole flowers that mesh masterfully with an atmospheric wall scene inspired by the lavender silk draperies. Seeking something less expected than a hand-painted wallcovering, Sides called on Brooklyn-based artist Alan Carroll for a screen-printed mural on canvas and Venetian plaster, which the artist updated by painting a depiction of a damp deciduous forest. Antiqued mirrored glass, set against the mantel, sets a luminous look, allowing intriguing objets such as ostrich-egg lamps, cream-colored faux-shagreen cabinets, pagoda-style crystal obelisks and metallic botanical pillows, to shine. –Kate Abney
CRYSTAL CHANDELIER Dennis & Leen through Jerry Pair LEATHER ON SOFA Jerry Pair Leather DINING TABLE, DINING CHAIRS AND OSTRICH-EGG LAMPS Brownrigg Interiors and Decorative Antiques WALNUT-AND-FRUITWOOD PEDESTALS Robuck TOLE FLOWERS & GILT MIRRORS William Word Fine Antiques TIBETAN RUG Tamarian Carpets CUSTOM MURAL Alan Carroll Studio ANTIQUED MIRROR OVER MANTEL John Little FAUX SHAGREEN ON CUSTOM SIDEBOARDS Edelman Leather BOTANICAL FLORAL ON SOFA ACCENT PILLOWS Dedar through Jerry Pair LAVENDER SILK DRAPERIES J. Robert Scott through Jerry Pair TRIM ON DRAPERIES Clarence House through Jerry Pair
Polish+Posh
Ryan Hughes & Steven Leonard, R HUGHES
“People often think of the study as a dark, masculine room,” says designer and showroom owner Ryan Hughes. “But we liked the idea of playing it a little differently; something light and bright.” He and Steven Leonard established a bold but calming combination of gold, rust and blush tones. Gold crops up on the high-pile carpet—a nostalgic throwback to Hughes’ childhood—while rust appears on draperies and sofa pillows in two iterations of a new, double-sided textile by Jiun Ho. The pale pink graces accent pillows and the ceiling above, lending the room a soft glow. Texture was paramount—from the plush alpaca bouclé ottoman and the polished porcelain accent table to the cast-glass centerpiece with “a poured liquid look.” A bar made from glossy back-painted glass is less fussy than lacquer, and the kidney-shaped sofa encourages conversation, tête-à-tête style. In an era of iPads, Hughes and Leonard loved the idea of paneling in lieu of built-ins, likening this space to a coffee and cocktail lounge in a boutique hotel lobby. Clean-lined accents include a compendium of colorful vintage-glass vessels, a mid-century brass palm sculpture, vintage charcoal drawings in gilt frames and a brass-and-frosted glass ceiling pendant that “glows like a moon.” –Kate Abney
PHOTOGRAPHY OVER MANTEL “Gigi” by Mona Kuhn, through Jackson Fine Art VINTAGE CHARCOAL DRAWINGS Bill Schiffer through R Hughes HIGH-PILE CARPET Stark Carpet OIL-RUBBED BRONZE SCONCES “Dauphine” by Jonathan Browning Studio BRASS-AND-FROSTED GLASS CEILING PENDANT Apparatus Studio through R Hughes BRASS FLOOR LAMP WITH PORCELAIN SHADE Apparatus Studio through R Hughes KIDNEY-SHAPED SOFA Coup Studio through R Hughes BACK-PAINTED GLASS CABINET Brett Design, Inc. through R Hughes STEEL-AND-CAST-GLASS CENTER TABLE John Liston for Coup D’Etat through R Hughes LOUNGE CHAIRS Jean de Merry through R Hughes POLISHED PORCELAIN DRINK TABLE Powell & Bonnell through R Hughes PAINT Paraffin by PPG Paints
Serene Sanctuary
Tish Mills Kirk, Tish Interiors
The breathtaking beauty of Japan’s magnolia blooms left a lasting impression during interior designer Tish Mills Kirk’s trip there earlier this year. Hence, a hand-painted silk wallpaper capturing the blossoms’ delicate splendor served as a natural starting point for Kirk’s design of this home office. She fashioned them into panels, their dimensions matching the room’s windows and showcasing scenes scaled to jump from one panel to the next. “The panels brought rhythm to the space and created the illusion that there were windows on all four walls,” says Kirk. “The large mirror also creates a sense of magic in the room because it either reflects the panels or the views outside, adding even more light and life to the space.” The ultra-feminine office eschews the traditional desk-and-chair setup, as the designer notes that today’s portable technology allows for a flex space that can be used for both work and play. She accomplishes this with purposeful factions—a sofa sidled up to a unique bronze-base table is ready for checking email while a wing chair on the opposite side can be easily slid out of the way for a meditation session on the rug. “Everything in Japanese culture is very restrained,” explains Kirk. “There’s nothing that’s gratuitous in any space, so I wanted to show an expression of that here.” –Sejal Bhima
PAINT Cool Charcoal by PPG Paints SCENIC WALLPAPER PANELS Fromental through Holland & Sherry TABLE Elan Atelier through R Hughes SOFA Lee Industries with Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca through Holland & Sherry ACCENT CHAIR Niermann Weeks through Grizzel & Mann WING CHAIR & COMMODE Holland MacRae ACCENT TABLE Century MIRROR Ernest Gaspard & Assoc. CHANDELIER Fortuny through Grizzel & Mann FLOOR LAMP Chip and Company TABLE LAMP Circa Lighting DRAPERY Hartmann & Forbes RUG Keivan Woven Arts CONSOLE BEHIND SOFA Chip and Company ART ON CONSOLE Deljou Art Group and TEW Galleries
Layered Perfection
Courtney Giles, Courtney Giles Interiors
Courtney Giles’ careful detailing creates a classic and comfortable welcome in the entry and vestibule. A commissioned contemporary painting fills the one large wall in the vestibule, which Giles covered in a taupe shagreen wallcovering from Cowtan & Tout and studded with trim on the deep gray ceiling. Gimp trim around the doorway and case openings in the entry add extra flourish in lieu of wallpaper and play off the black, brown and white palette. “You want the foyer to be inviting because it’s the first glimpse into your home that most people get, whether it’s formal or informal,” Giles says. “You just want something to catch the eye.” She also positioned a center table—featuring a contemporary sculpture, instead of a floral centerpiece—atop a tiger-print rug. Contemporary art and antiques are layered, quite literally, by leaning framed artwork on the walls and floors. “Always in a room, I make sure I have an antique and a piece of contemporary art,” Giles says. —Lori Johnston
PAINT Knight’s Armor by PPG Paints WALLCOVERING Cowtan & Tout GIMP TRIM Samuel & Sons through Ainsworth-Noah TIGER RUG Stark LAMP John Rosselli through Ainsworth-Noah; lampshade through Edgar-Reeves WIRE BENCH, BRONZE SCULPTURE Travis & Company SISAL RUG Myers Carpet PAINTING Blayne Macauley through Anne Irwin Fine Art BRONZE NUDE Jerry Pair MIRROR, CONSOLE, TEA CADDY, UMBRELLA STAND, PLANT STANDS, BELL JAR & TABLE Parc Monceau
Easy Elegance
Karen Ferguson, Harrison Design
The home’s architecture informed the design of this tranquil keeping room by Karen Ferguson. “The home’s exterior is heavily influenced by Sir Edwin Luytens, so we also turned to his work for inspiration, particularly when designing the mantel,” she says. Crafted from limestone, its geometric form is an elegant ode to the iconic English architect, while also grounding the room’s light and airy scheme. Envisioning the space as a daily gathering spot for family, creating a flexible seating arrangement was top of mind for Ferguson. Elliptical cocktail tables featuring recessed wheels can be moved with the touch of a finger, while a garden stool and Turkish ottoman can double as seating. “I imagined game nights and cozy weekends taking place here,” says the designer. Further playing up the room’s comfy and casual vibe are whimsical textile selections such as the Wink drapery fabric by Pollack and a Phillip Jeffries linen wallcovering that Ferguson playfully likens to “making you feel like you’re wrapped in, a blanket.” Also adding personality to the space is a unique bronze serpent table featuring guinea fowl feathers laid under its glass top and a vintage chair upholstered in a collagelike print by Thomas Callaway. –Sejal Bhima
MANTEL Materials Marketing WALLCOVERING Phillip Jeffries DRAPERY FABRIC Pollack CHANDELIER Ironware International through Paul+ SOFA Lee Industries through Holland & Company SOFA FABRIC Holland & Company THROW Holland & Sherry THROW PILLOWS Noah J. & Co. and B.D. Jeffries OVAL TABLES Oso Industries through Paul+ SERPENT TABLE Rose Tarlow through Jerry Pair GARDEN STOOL Jerry Pair ARTWORK Pryor Fine Art VINTAGE CHAIR R Hughes CHAIR FABRIC Thomas Callaway through Holland & Sherry RUG Keivan Woven Arts COMMODE Jean de Merry through R Hughes MIRROR Mathews Furniture + Design
European Elegance
Melanie Millner, The Design Atelier
Walking into the breakfast room immediately reminded designer Melanie Millner of a treasured trip to Tuscany—where her villa’s veranda overlooked a stunning vista as naturally lush as this residence’s backyard. “The space is beautiful because of its positioning on the property, overlooking the backyard and pool. The way the light filtered through the windows made it really dynamic. It’s lovely pretty much every hour of the day,” says the designer, who decided to channel the Italian locale by nestling potted Meyer lemon trees between the pewter Duralee linen draperies. A square wool rug from Moattar established a sage-colored neutral scheme to complement their sunny hue: seen in greige wicker chairs, swiveling ottomans, a charcoal-finish Tritter Feefer table and iron chandelier with Samuel & Sons trim to tie it all together. Handmade French dinnerware look low-key yet chic in combination with Match pewter flatware and Simon Pearce drinking glasses. “They’re elegant and casual at the same time,” Millner says. “Perfect for water, wine, champagne,” and, of course, lemonade. Mounted over one window, a dramatic Todd Murphy piece serves as a partial privacy screen while, on the vaulted ceiling above, a metallic cork wallcovering shimmers in the light. Says Millner: “It looks like a constellation at night.” –Kate Abney
METALLIC CORK WALLCOVERING Enchanted Woods by Phillip Jeffries DRAPERIES Duralee DRAPERY TRIM Samuel & Sons through Ainsworth-Noah DRAPERY FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION Douglass Workroom WOOL RUG Moattar ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT OF HERON Todd Murphy DINING TABLE Tritter Feefer MALABAR DINING CHAIRS AND RITA STOOLS Bungalow Classic IRON CHANDELIER Formations through Jerry Pair PLATES & BOWLS Reflets D’argent, through The Linen Ladies PAIR OF 19TH-CENTURY FRENCH STONE PLANTERS Jacqueline Adams Antiques
Heart of the Manor
Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio
To transform the kitchen into a bright space, Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio, with principal Matthew Quinn, opted to forgo a hood wall and instead add a bank of windows. The unexpected decision floods light into the kitchen, which boasts rift-cut oak cabinets in a limed stain with gray-beige tones. “In an old English manor house, you wouldn’t find a bright white as a finish,” Quinn says. “We had so much light coming into the space. We could use a deeper, warmer color.” He paid homage to Lutyens by mimicking the shape of one of the famed architect’s fireplaces in the design of the stone backsplash and island countertop. “Kitchens tend to be linear because there’s no curved appliances or cabinets. I love adding some softness to it,” he says. Round pendants have the same effect over the island, which offers a unique, modern-day amenity: a dog bed underneath. Meanwhile, the lead glass cabinets speak to the architecture, similar to the mullions over the front door. The perimeter quartzite countertops are tone-on-tone. A closer look at the island countertops reveals deep blue, which inspired the pantry’s walls. “When you go from one room to another, at least one element finds its way into the adjacent room,” Quinn says. —Lori Johnston
CABINETRY Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection APPLIANCES SubZero/Wolf through Guy Gunter Home COUNTERTOPS Antolini through Pietra FABRICATION Miami Circle Marble LIGHTING Circa Lighting WALLCOVERING Phillip Jeffries PLATTER, MORTAR, PESTLE and GLOBES Foxglove Antiques & Galleries
Imagination and Illusion
Helen Davis, Helen Davis Interior Design
When designing the laundry room, one of three showhouse spaces she designed, Helen Davis dreamed up what other functions could happen in that space if she were the homeowner. “If I had this gorgeous house and this gorgeous yard, I would probably be doing lots of flower arranging,” she says. Botanicals spanned from the sink and countertops in the laundry room to the Schumacher palm print in the powder room. Davis had been longing to use the muted pastel wallcovering, and after discovering high ceilings in the powder room, used the space to show off the vertical print’s linear nature. “I knew that it could be a star and look really grand,” she says. Wallpaper is a signature element in her spaces, which she says tend to feel playful, collected and timeless. She warmed up the gray floors and cabinetry in the mudroom and laundry with a Cowtan & Tout grasscloth wallcovering and polished nickel knobs. For her first showhouse experience, Davis leaned into the advice and encouragement of designers such as honorary chair Beth Webb and Jena Salmon. “It’s great to be arm-in-arm with other designers,” Davis says. —Lori Johnston
Mudroom WALLCOVERING Cowtan & Tout LIGHTING Circa Lighting BENCH CUSHION Regatta linen stripe by Schumacher DOUBLE HOOK Restoration Hardware BASKETS Pottery Barn RUG Jaipur Living PAINT PPG Paints Powder Room COUNTERTOPS LG Hausys WALLCOVERING Blair House Palm by Schumacher LIGHTING Circa Lighting SCONCE Oliver Street Designs ACCESSORIES AND TOWELS Restoration Hardware, Ballard Designs MIRROR Wisteria Laundry Room COUNTERTOPS LG Hausys WALLCOVERING Cowtan & Tout LIGHTING Circa Lighting CABINET KNOBS Rejuvenation BASKETS Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn VASE Williams-Sonoma TOWELS Ralph Lauren Home
Outdoor Escape
Michael Mitchell & Tyler Hill, Mitchell Hill
The loggia’s position on the posterior of the house naturally felt like a destination to Charleston talents Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill, so they wanted the space to telegraph a spirit of adventure. Drawing on worldly and multi-ethnic inspirations, they imagined the homeowners as Mexican expats who’d traveled the world collecting art. Namely, a painting of two donkeys by Betty Botts—an accomplished artist and daughter of a former Georgia governor—which conjured for Hill “a ranch in Guadalajara.” Head sculptures by Roberta Schilling recall classic Nigerian handicraft. Outdoor textiles reference exotic Kuba cloths, and an accent table with horn legs nods to Namibia. Texture comes in the form of a Moroccan-inspired rug and fouta towels, which add interest to the neutral palette. The design duo envision endless al fresco meals under their custom ceiling pendant, whose antique mirror, clear seeded glass, charcoal and gold glass provide the perfect foil for perforated metal klismos chairs. A shelter-style outdoor sofa from McGuire straddles the line between resort and city lifestyles while fulfilling another destination-friendly vision. Says Hill: “I see someone reading the newspaper out here with coffee in the morning, then returning for an afternoon nap.” –Kate Abney
CHANDELIER Mary by Mitchell Hill Collection DONKEY PAINTING Betty Botts through Mitchell Hill OUTDOOR SOFA Union Sofa, McGuire CONSOLE, DINING TABLE, DINING CHAIRS, WING CHAIR & SHIP KNOT SCULPTURE Made Goods HEAD STOOLS AND HAND-CARVED ANTS Roberta Schilling COCKTAIL TABLE Cubica by Steven Volpe for McGuire WOVEN ARMCHAIRS Banderas by Four Hands ACCENT TABLE WITH HORN LEGS Gemsbok Horn Table, Ngala Trading LOUNGE CHAIR WITH HAMMAM TOWEL Lockram Lounge by Steven Volpe for McGuire GOLD HAMMAM TOWEL Zestt
Glorious Grandeur
James Michael Howard, James Michael Howard, Inc.
Luxurious fabrics from Cowtan & Tout, Manuel Canovas and Larsen abound in the master bedroom, while the bed is bedecked in bespoke linens. “I believe a woman should be the most beautiful person in the house, and a bedroom should always be about the bed,” James Michael Howard says. “That’s why I dressed it so profoundly.” Howard grounded his sumptuous scheme with sturdy antiques—Georgian, French, mid-century, Nordic and more. “They’re classics with a capital ‘C,’ he asserts. “I always try to find the best of a period, the best of a country, the best of a style, and incorporate that dutifully.” An 18th-century English mahogany secretary is filled with 1950s and ’60s porcelain and bisque for contrast. Beyond a grouping of mid-century upholstery pieces and a replica Renoir, a steel console inspired by 20th-century Swiss sculptor Diego Giacometti is accented by a Robert Motherwell engraving Howard suspended from the bronze drapery rod above—allowing it to do double duty. Both the brass ceiling pendant and wallpaper are custom. “I manipulated a bunch of old Fortuny images, had them printed with linoleum blocks, then added seven or eight different shades of glaze,” he explains. “Up close, the images look almost like hieroglyphics.” –Kate Abney
CUSTOM BEDDING The Linen Ladies, Jacksonville BRASS SWING-ARM LAMPS AND FLOOR LAMPS Vaughan CUSTOM CURTAINS, SHADES, PORTIERES & BED CANOPY Willard Pitt Curtain Makers ALL OTHER RESOURCES James Michael Howard, Inc. and Mrs. Howard RENOIR REPLICA (not pictured) by Mark Tansey, loaned by Mark Borghi Fine Art of the Hamptons and Palm Beach
Natural Fit
Kati Hardwick, B.D. Jeffries
An expansive window overlooking the property set in motion Kati Hardwick’s plan for a natural, neutral master bathroom. But neutral hues don’t mean this bath blends into the background. Instead, dark gray walls, a handmade chandelier with layered charcoal leather, and earthy accessories like concrete vessels and geodes served as elements of surprise. As soon as she selected the wall color (PPG Paints’ Elephant Gray), Hardwick sought out large-scale abstracts by Amy Gordon for both sides of the freestanding tub. “I knew automatically that they would fit perfectly in the bathroom,” she says. “It’s being bold without being over the top.” The pieces offer the subtle look of marble and join other abstract black, gray and white pieces. “All the art that we used had a textural appearance—thick layers of paint and mixed media. They’re simple, but they’re statement pieces.” A gray Tibetan ottoman and black primitive chair beside the tub also make statements of their own. Natural seagrass wallpaper, a woven Cuatro Tetas basket, a hemp ottoman and a mixed-media canvas created a cohesive feel between the bath and the master closet, which was designed in collaboration with Custom Closets of Georgia. “I loved the addition of the antique mirrors,” Hardwick says. “It worked fabulously with the gray.” —Lori Johnston
TUB MTI Baths TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath SHOWER WALLS AND COUNTERTOPS Thin Slabz from Miami Circle Marble PAINT Elephant Gray by PPG Paints ARTWORK Amy Gordon, Susanne Carmack, Graham Harmon, L’Atlas, Sabine Maes and Jane Ingols ALL OTHER ITEMS through B.D. Jeffries Closet DESIGN Custom Closets of Georgia
Tropical Take
Don Easterling and Nina Nash, Mathews Furniture + Design
Design duo Don Easterling and Nina Nash once again balanced their differing styles to create a dynamic, vibrant space. For the upstairs master suite, Easterling’s appreciation for traditional is evident in porcelain plates on the wall and a chinoiserie screen, while Nash brought in bold colors in the form of a pink bathroom door and Josh Young’s avant-garde portrait art above the bed. “Somehow, our favorite design elements work really well together,” Nash says. The design started with Dominica, a Penny Morrison drapery fabric with a tropical fruit motif. Its palette of plums, pomegranate, pinks, gold and pale blues was fittingly fresh for a spring showhouse. “We knew instantly we could have some fun with it,” Nash says. Nearby, they paired an antique papier-mâché palm with an antique writing desk. In the bath, the duo relied on their tried-and-true elements, mixing boutique-line textiles and piling on antique oil paintings and brass. “We truly believe anyone would feel at home here,” Nash says. “We laugh because it seems as the years go on, the more we both start to morph into each other’s styles.” —Lori Johnston
Bedroom (previous pages) PAINT Polaris by PPG Paints BED Oly BEDDING Julia B., Ralph Lauren DRAPERY Penny Morrison through Travis & Co.; fabricated by Designs By Sudi HEADBOARD FABRIC Schumacher BRASS LAMPS Visual Comfort; shades from The Lamp Shoppe ART Josh Young, framed by Fred Reed Picture Framing; Paige Kalena Follmann LOVESEAT AND CHAIRS Hickory Chair LOVESEAT PILLOWS Designs By Sudi LEOPARD PILLOWS Ralph Lauren through Kravet INLAID BOXES & ANTIQUE FRENCH RATTAN CHAIRS Foxglove Antiques & Galleries ANTIQUE PLATES Interiors Market CHINOISERIE SCREEN Mark D. Sikes for Henredon LAMP Christopher Spitzmiller; shade from The Lamp Shoppe SIDE CHAIR Travis & Company ANTIQUE ANGLO-INDIAN INLAID TABLE Parc Monceau ALL OTHER ITEMS through Mathews Furniture + Design Bathroom PAINT PPG Paints TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath ROMAN SHADE Penny Morrison through Travis & Company; fabricated by Designs By Sudi LANTERN Visual Comfort RUGS Eliko WOVEN CONSOLE Hickory Chair LAMPS Visual Comfort; shades from The Lamp Shoppe ANTIQUE BOX Foxglove Antiques ANTIQUE PRINTS Custom framed by Fred Reed Picture Framing TOWELS AND ACCESSORIES Waterworks VANITY MIRRORS Capital Lighting
Global Glamour
Cathy Austin, Catherine M. Austin Interior Design
Interior designer Cathy Austin relished the opportunity to act as her own client in this whimsical bedroom brimming with personality. “I wanted to create a fantasy bedroom where I would look forward to waking up each morning, surrounded by everything I love. But really, I think this room could be for a lady of any age with a curious mind and a passion for art and travel,” she says. Austin formulated a joyful palette of serene greens with shades of lilac and orchid that was inspired by a recent trip to Lake Como. A fanciful chinoiserie wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils and a sleek custom banquette in a plush green velvet not only give gusto to her inspiration but their contrasting styles add to the room’s powerful allure. “I didn’t want to create just a ‘pretty’ room, but rather a soulful space with interesting juxtapositions,” says Austin. Other noteworthy contrasts include the canopy bed’s traditional frame that’s reinterpreted in brass and mohair while the smaller pattern of the leopard rug balances the drapery’s larger paisley embroidery. Austin indulges her passion for art with an assortment of original works by Southern artists—that span from mixed media and embroidery to contemporary portraiture and a landscape dusted with diamonds—in gallery-like displays throughout the bedroom and in an adjacent hallway that’s swathed in a deep lilac. –Sejal Bhima
CEILING PAINT Quaking Grass by PPG Paints WALLPAPER Brunschwig & Fils RUG Stark BED Custom with Lee Jofa fabric EURO SHAM Martyn Lawrence Bullard BENCH Highland House with Elizabeth Eakins, fabric through Holland & Sherry BEDSIDE LAMP Circa Lighting with lampshade by Edgar-Reeves CHAIRS Charles Stewart with Kravet fabric DRAPERY Taffard Fabrics through Grizzel & Mann DRESSER & BEDSIDE TABLE Made Goods BANQUETTE FABRIC Kravet, with pillows in Schumacher and Elizabeth Eakins TABLE Parc Monceau ART Brad Thomas through SOCO Gallery, Selena Beaudry through Hidell Brooks Gallery Hallway PAINT Ashberry by PPG Paints RUG Moattar WINDOW TREATMENT Clarence House through Jerry Pair with Samuel & Sons trim through Ainsworth-Noah ETAGERE Parc Monceau ART Herb Jackson, Kate Long Stevenson, Geraldine Neuwirth & Scott Duce at Hidell Brooks Gallery; Stephen Wilson, Stephanie Hirsch & Shaun Cassidy at New Gallery of Modern Art
Refined Comfort
Dana Wolter, Dana Wolter Interiors
Interior designer Dana Wolter cultivated a sense of relaxation in the upstairs lounge. “I wanted to draw you in by creating a calm, moody ambience that invites you to unwind, whether that be by reading a book, taking a nap or even catching up with a friend,” explains the designer. She set the scene with a warm, cocooning color palette of deep grays and neutrals. Further enhancing the cozy factor in the room is a plush L-shaped sectional that, along with ottomans tucked underneath the sculptural coffee table, maximizes seating within the intimate space. “While the goal is to always create a warm and elegant space, it should also be to create a purposeful one too,” says Wolter. Her design philosophy also prizes a well-edited aesthetic. “I don’t like fussy, ornate interiors, but I do like detail. Subtle details always add up to something spectacular,” she says. For example, the room’s drapery—featuring a new damask pattern by Peter Fasano—is taken up to the ceiling to accentuate the room’s voluminous height. Rich textures are also abundant throughout, including a luxe black hide chair. Her sophisticated design style carries into the bath, where an enchanting wallcovering makes even a bathroom break a positively chic experience. –Sejal Bhima
PAINT Zombie by PPG Paints SECTIONAL & HIDE CHAIR UpCountry Home CHANDELIER Currey & Co. ART & SUNBURST Parc Monceau DRAPERY & PILLOW FABRIC Peter Fasano through Ainsworth-Noah RUG Stark FLOOR LAMP Vaughn through Ainsworth-Noah Bath TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath CONTERTOPS LG Hausys WALLPAPER Peter Fasano through Ainsworth-Noah MIRROR Huff Harrington Home RUG Eighteenth Street Orientals
Bold & Blissful
Jena Salmon, Jena Salmon Designs, LLC
Classic style got a fresh spin at the hands of interior designer Jena Salmon in this guest bedroom. Known for her fearless approach to pattern and color, she selected a painterly toile from Thibaut’s new Dynasty collection to take center stage in the room. The coordinating Cheng wallpaper and embroidered fabrics (making their showhouse debut) feature scenes of trees and pagodas in a vibrant red and navy colorway. Eye-catching antiques—from an 18th-century chest to an ornate gold mirror—complement the room’s timeless quality, but Salmon’s signature “mix it up” mantra keeps the room feeling fresh and current. “I always like to have something of interest in a space, something that makes it unique,” explains Salmon. “In here, it’s adding contemporary elements amidst such a traditional backdrop.” She accomplishes this by layering in an unexpected tie-dye rug by Stark underfoot and a bold abstract painting by Kathy Cousart. The settee also imparts a more modern verve with a clean and crisp patterned velvet by Thibaut. “There’s a real ying and yang feeling to the room,” notes Salmon. It’s a sentiment carried over to the adjoining bath, where she opted for a more neutral scheme for balance. –Sejal Bhima
TOILE WALLPAPER & FABRIC Thibaut SETTE FABRIC Thibaut RUG Stark ANTIQUE CHEST Robuck ANTIQUE MIRROR The Lamp Shoppe BED Robert Allen BEDDING & SHAMS Matouk through Gramercy Home LIGHT FIXTURE Capital Lighting PAINTING by Kathy Cousart Bath COUNTERTOPS LG Hausys WALLPAPER Thibaut BATHROOM MIRROR Capital Lighting
Classic Tribute
Robbie Pich, Harrison Design
This new, 9,804-square-foot Buckhead estate was inspired by the English country homes designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in the early 1900s. With painted brick, stone masonry and limestone accents on the front exterior, and timber framing on the covered rear porch, the home refrains from overpowering the site, architectural designer Robbie Pich says. “It fits nicely in the neighborhood.” A bay window seat above the front door—perfect for peering over the entrance to see visitors entering the low-walled courtyard—was topped with copper for a charming touch along the symmetrical and steep front exterior. The architectural team also added a tower in front of the garage to bring down the scale—a decision Pich describes as a caretaker’s effect. Rear porches, with primarily stone and brick, also soften the elevation as the backyard opens to a deceivingly deep lot. Bluestone steps leading to the pool reinforce the home’s symmetry, while copper roofing and wood shake tone down the formal look. Consider it new-meets-Old World. “It gives it a generational feel of maybe things were added to it over time,” Pich says. —Lori Johnston
Showstoppers
Floralis Garden Design & Hamilton Land Services
Floralis Garden Design and Hamilton Land Services joined forces to transform the 1.13-acre property. Elements such as boxwood hedge on the front and back exterior set a structured, buttoned-up feel that gave way to curved lines and whimsical, colorful containers as visitors strolled the grounds. The feeling of a special entrance is accentuated with “Sarah’s Favorite” crape myrtles that frame the paved motor court. “The architecture of the home was really beautiful, so it stood on its own,” says Tim Gartland of Hamilton Land Services. “It felt very elegant from the road. We wanted to accent it in a way where it was very clean and traditional.” An intimate cottage garden was intended to show a tapestry of year-round color while foxgloves play along a low white wall that defines the front motor court. For a strong focal point in the rear exterior, Floralis positioned a zinc container with variegated agave and “Lemon Ball” sedum on a brick wall for a striking look against a sloping landscape by Maxwell Gardens. Poolside containers with seasonal plantings add interest without blocking the view, while showcasing the clean, non-fussy style and seasonal beauty of container gardening, which Floralis’ Lucinda Bray says homeowners desire today. —Lori Johnston