A Transitional Buckhead Cottage Charms with Tailored Interiors and Layered Textures


Wrapping the dining room, painterly paper by British brand Lewis & Wood is based on 18th-century chintzes and adds a cozy sensibility to the entertaining space. A Visual Comfort & Co. ceiling fixture is dressed in petite shades.

n the foyer, skirted ottomans covered in a plush periwinkle match the dining room’s painted trim (Sherwin-Williams Debonair) and Lewis & Wood’s Indienne Green Glaze wallpaper.

A double-square steel door allows sunlight to stream into the foyer of this tailored Buckhead residence.

Adjacent to the dining room, hardware inspired by Addison Weeks jewelry sparkles on the bar cabinets.

Designed by architect Greg Busch, a deep overhang on the front porch makes a nice place to sit outside and admire the yard by Hamilton Land Services Inc., formerly Carson McElheney Landscape Architecture & Design.

A Penny Morrison Killi Blue linen shade adds a touch of English whimsy to the portrait window over the kitchen sink. The cabinetry is by Tommy Caswell of Brookwood Kitchens.

On the kitchen ceiling, white beadboard enhances the home’s cottage feel. Behind the stove, a marble backsplash is custom-cut to follow the curve of the range hood.

A Visual Comfort & Co. chandelier illuminates the breakfast nook.

n the family room, a Holland MacRae coffee table is flanked by sofas from Lee Industries. A ceiling light by Currey & Company and artwork by Kit Porter through Anne Irwin Fine Art add dimension to the cozy space.

In the powder room, a collection of brass accents adds a relaxed yet polished sensibility, while a faux bamboo motif is echoed on the mirror and vanity.

Phillip Jeffries linen wallcovering, mismatched side tables from Modern History, and new pleated shades on existing lamps add character to the inviting primary bedroom.

Designer Virginia Cheek reupholstered a Charles Stewart chaise lounge with a chic fringe.

Schumacher Rosenborg wallpaper in sunny yellow brings warmth to the mudroom, while lockers with mesh doors provide a pretty and functional storage solution for kids’ backpacks and sports equipment.

The primary bathroom’s pièce de résistance—a sleek freestanding bathtub from Renaissance Tile & Bath—is paired with vintage-inspired plumbing fixtures and framed by custom fabric panels with a Holland & Sherry trim.

As the old saying goes, good things come in small packages. Jewelry, baby clothes, a perfect cup of coffee. Or, as in the case of a Buckhead new-construction home for a growing family, a Blue Celeste tile that inspired the entirety of the project. “The homeowner already had an idea, which is really nice when there is a source of inspiration and we build on that,” says designer Virginia Cheek.

When the homeowners showed the sparkling sky blue marble to Cheek, together they dreamed up a basketweave rug pattern that eventually became the floor in the primary bathroom—and also Cheek’s favorite space in the home. “The color was so pretty, we went with it. We pulled from that color for the vanities, and then we layered different tones of the blue and blue-grays throughout.” To achieve the overall look the homeowners desired, Cheek mixed timeless touches—a classic empire mirror and vintage-style fixtures—with a streamlined, freestanding bathtub. “The bathroom is a nice example of what we mean when we say we were doing a transitional house,” she adds.

This balancing act continues in the primary bedroom. Subtle, layered textures in the linen wallcovering, custom bedding, and sheer window panels create a relaxing retreat, while mismatched, Regency-style side tables and a white-lacquered four-poster bed add character.

With construction underway at the height of pandemic-era delays, every detail of the home’s 3,800 square feet was carefully considered to maximize impact. “Keeping the house modest in size did them a lot of favors,” says architect Greg Busch. The homeowner, who lived on the same street during construction, and his father, a real estate developer, also served as the foremen.

The result is a “well-thought-out house,” describes Cheek. “It has traditional elements, but is super functional for having little kids in today’s world.” The floor plan—a primary suite on the main level with three bedrooms upstairs—was familiar to Cheek, who is also a mother of three. “We built our house and did a very similar thing, so I had that knowledge in my brain,” she says. “It’s a similar formula—the traffic flow makes a lot of sense.”

The family-friendly mindset shines in the dining room, where an easy-to-clean polypropylene rug gives the appearance of sisal without the headache. Anchoring the room is the extra-wide dining table—an inherited heirloom—where the homeowners enjoy hosting. “We do a lot of family houses and the dining room is often the last priority,” says Cheek. “I love that they use the dining room, but kids eat in there, too, so we made it somewhat kid-friendly.” The prettiest details, like the knots on the pleats atop the periwinkle window panels, are placed out of reach from tiny hands, while an 18th-century chintz-inspired wallpaper wraps the room like a present. “It’s very in right now, and it was nice to find something we haven’t seen all the time,” adds Cheek.

Connected through arched openings, the light-filled kitchen boasts its own cheerful touches, including a contemporary Roman shade that partially covers the portrait window above the sink. “The look of the fabric feels like it’s been around for hundreds of years,” notes Cheeks. A closer look at the bar backsplash reveals a custom hydrangea mosaic tile. “We do a lot of projects for young families, and we bring in the special details, but in a quantity that makes sense,” the designer says, proving, once again, small packages are very good indeed.

INTERIOR DESIGN Virginia Cheek, Virginia Cheek Designs, virginiacheek.com ARCHITECT Greg Busch, Greg Busch Architects, AIA, gregbusch.com LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Hamilton Land Services Inc., (404) 355-3330; hamiltonlandservices.com