Strong Roots

Originally built in 2001, architect Charles Heydt of Pak Heydt & Associates and builder Bob Dernehl infused traditional character into an English Tudor-inspired home in Buckhead. 

In the family room, designer Andrew Howard focused on a calming color scheme of neutrals and blues to complement the existing architecture. The custom sofa is upholstered in a Rosemary Hallgarten fabric, while a plush ottoman serves as a laid-back alternative to a coffee table. 

n antique mantel adds a sense of history to the formal living room. The blue armchair is from Chaddock featuring fabric by Lisa Fine Textiles.

Connected to the living room, a custom banquette features a bold, easy-to-clean performance fabric from Perennials, while a Chaddock dining table serves as the perfect place for board games. The pendant light is from Coleen and Company and the Roman shade fabric is by Suzanne Tucker Home.

A Soane wallcovering makes an impact in the home’s wet bar.

Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Chicago, architect Charles Heydt incorporated pale yellow and green into the dining room’s leaded-glass bay window to create soft light. The chinoiserie wallcovering is from The Mural Source by Paul Montgomery.

Four custom armchairs featuring a Rogers & Goffigon fabric create a cozy conversation area in the study, as do antique wingback chairs reupholstered in Holland & Sherry fabric.

A departure from the rest of the home’s neutral attitude, the powder room features a punchy wallcovering from Adelphi Paper Hangings. The cabinet paint color is Sherwin-Williams Raging Sea.

Blue hues create a calming palette in the primary bedroom, where a custom bed is upholstered in Le Gracieux’s Montauk Stripe fabric. A custom bench is upholstered in a complementary ZAK+FOX fabric and the side table is from Mrs. Howard. 

Due to the primary bedroom’s sloping ceiling, there wasn’t much room for statement artwork. Howard’s solution: Repaint the existing chandelier to be in harmony with the blue-and-white fabrics and allow the light fixture to serve as a statement piece. 

Inspired by the Jordan Pond Gatehouse in Acadia National Park, Heydt used Stone Mountain granite for the base walls of the home. The masonry arches are true load-bearing structures, which is “not typical for the way a lot of them are made,” says Heydt. French oak windows were designed with authentic detailing and feature espagnolettes and cremone bolt hardware.

Built in 2001, this Buckhead estate was a true labor of love between its original homeowners and architect Charles Heydt of Pak Heydt & Associates, who worked with builder Bob Dernehl to bring their collective vision of an English Tudor-inspired home
to life.

“To make the house look like it has some age to it, we worked hard to preserve the older trees on-site and bring in older materials,” explains Heydt, who left no stone unturned when it came to authentic detailing.

When the time came for the home to take on a second act with new homeowners—a fun-loving family of four with two young boys—livability, comfort and respect for Heydt’s original architecture were significant areas of focus for interior designer Andrew Howard of Andrew Howard Interior Design.

“They wanted something comfortable, where they could relax and hang out and not feel like people couldn’t sit down on things,” explains Howard. “The architectural envelope was fantastic. When you have that, I tend to say, ‘Let’s rightfully let that be the star here, and we’ll do things to complement it.’”

To allow interior architectural details—such as reclaimed ceiling beams, coffered ceilings, grayed white-oak floors, plaster walls, French oak windows and antique mantels—to shine, Howard kept the color scheme largely neutral with pops of blue and green, and embraced smaller prints and patterns that lend a European feel.

To accommodate the clients’ need for a laid-back retreat, Howard also used low-maintenance and easy-to-clean outdoor fabrics throughout the home. “Outdoor fabrics are so good that they feel just like an indoor fabric, but you can spill on them more frequently and not have to get too worked up about it, especially if kids are in the house.”

In addition, it was crucial to the designer that each public space have a distinct sense of purpose. “You want to give someone a reason to go in each room,” says Howard. In the living room, for instance, a banquette offers space-efficient seating for games of mah-jongg or bridge (the clients’ favorite).

In the family room, Howard opted for a “more loungey and comfortable” upholstered ottoman rather than a coffee table. Likewise, the study was outfitted with custom armchairs that work alongside Heydt’s heart pine tongue-and-groove paneling to create a cozy space for conversation.

“This house was beautiful before I even bought the first piece of furniture,” says Howard. “I just wanted to complement that.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Andrew Howard, Andrew Howard Interior Design, (904) 389-5100; andrewjhoward.com ARCHITECT Charles Heydt, Pak Heydt & Associates, LLC, (404) 231-3195; pakheydt.com BUILDER/GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bob Dernehl, The Dernehl Company, (770) 933-8165; dernehlco.com