A View From the Top

The penthouse of Matthew Quinn and Ric Parrish lives much larger than its 2,000 square feet, thanks in part to the vista Quinn created by aligning doorways along one wall; from the guest room at one end you can see all the way to the master bedroom and the outdoor terrace beyond. Defining the living and dining areas are Xoom chandeliers found in Germany. “They contract to 15½ inches and expand to nine feet,” Parrish explains, “so we can change the look of the place in a matter of minutes, and it’s very easy.”

Noticeably absent in the kitchen are wall cabinets. Instead, on either side of the range, smoked glass doors—disguising storage for dinnerware, small appliances, even a TV-slide behind the hood. Quinn even balanced a chase on the right side of the space with a look-alike on the other; accessed from the foyer, it serves as an extra-deep coat closet. Appliances, SubZero/Wolf. Hood and sliding glass backsplash, Design Galleria

Kitchen & Bath Studio. Decorative hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection. above “All the colors in the house come from this,” says Quinn of the striated marble countertops. “I’d never seen this [material] before and I absolutely fell in love with it.” Further enhancing the dramatic island design is a generously sized corner sink. Countertops, Striata Mocha marble fabricated by Marmi Natural Stone. Faucet, Elkay.

At the same time the owners purchased this penthouse, Quinn was launching his line of bathroom fixtures. A stepped-up alcove at one end of the master bath spectacularly showcases one of his designs—and has one of the best views in the place. Tub and sinks, Intarcia Collection by Matthew Quinn for MTI Whirlpools. Faucets and shower fixtures, Matthew Quinn Collection by Rubinet Faucet Company. Hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection. Countertops, Caesarstone. Tile is from Renaissance Tile & Bath.

Tucked between a suspended fireplace and a glass partition that defines the master bedroom, the den features floor-to-ceiling drapery on two walls. “We love the sound absorption and the aesthetic,” says Quinn. But, here, the drapery serves another purpose, too. On a day-to-day basis, it reveals the master bedroom and the terrace beyond but, when guests arrive, pulls across to cover the glass wall and door. Sofa, Ligne Roset. Coffee table and swivel chair from Context. Rug, Underfoot Design.

The subdued, sophisticated color palette throughout the penthouse plays right into a tip designer Bill Stewart gave the homeowners. “One thing we learned from him about this place is when you have incredible views and you have lots of glass, if you do white floors or white furniture—anything light and reflective—it will bounce against the glass and you’ve killed your view at night,” Parrish says. Coffee table by Christian Liaigre, available through Jerry Pair. Vases are from Baker, Knapp & Tubbs.

Separating the master suite from the rest of the house, a glass wall and door allow views of the terrace from well beyond the bedroom. “I think it’s one of the best design features. It makes such a difference,” says Quinn. Custom bed by Craig Swenson. Artwork by Hal Shwarze.

Tucked into a V-shaped niche, a bistro-height table for two seemingly brings diners just that much closer to the Atlanta city skyline. Table, Design Within Reach. Chairs from Kolo Collection.

The design of the outdoor terrace was given just as much thought as the interior space. “The idea behind the pond is that it reflects the buildings,” says Parrish, “and then you have the fire that “dances”in the water.” Reflecting pond by Atlanta Water Gardens. Plantings and containers by Planters, Inc. Hardscapes, deck and fireplace, Timoney Construction.

A pair of Kartell club chairs and ottoman—their luminous quality dazzling at dusk—are positioned to take full advantage of the breathtaking city view.

Fitted with a pedestal sink and faucet of his own design, the powder room is the epitome of Matthew Quinn style. Sink, Eryx by Matthew Quinn for MTI Whirlpools. Faucet, Matthew Quinn Collection for Rubinet Faucet Company.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Matthew Quinn and Ric Parrish had just returned from their first trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. It had been a more-than-memorable vacation; in fact, they’d fallen in love with the city—so much so that the two started talking about eventually living there part-time, and part-time in Atlanta.

“In order to do that, we’d want a condo in downtown Vancouver and we’d probably need a condo here, too,” says Parrish, who co-owns Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio with Quinn. “We were living in a large home in Morningside, and knew [the move] would mean we’d have to downsize. Having never lived in an apartment or condo—I love having access to the outdoors—a penthouse seemed to be what we’d be looking for, something with some outdoor space.”

As it so happened, one of their employees was shopping condos about the same time. So Quinn and Parrish went along for the ride. It eventually led them to Luxe at 12th and Piedmont, where Parrish casually asked if any penthouses were available. There were.

“As soon as we walked in the door, Matthew made ‘the sound’—the same one he made when we fell in love with our house in Morningside,” Parrish recalls. “I instantly thought ‘Oh, no! What have I done? This was supposed to be something five years down the road. Maybe even 10. But certainly not right now!’ But knowing that ‘sound,’ I knew it was going to be right now.”

Given his well-trained eye for design, Quinn—the principal of Design Galleria—quickly imagined the possibilities, even though the space had no more than metal studs up. So he put together specs for finishing the space out, precisely as he envisioned it.

“In seven days, we produced not only a completely new floor plan and every single elevation, but also specifications for every light fixture, every plumbing fixture, every appliance, the landscape plan—everything,” Quinn says. “We put it all together in a notebook, then said to the developer, ‘This is what we’re going to do to the space.’ ”

Both their offer and plan were accepted, and a year-long build-out process ensued. But for all of Parrish and Quinn’s combined design expertise, they knew they needed another design pro to bounce ideas off of.

“Bill Stewart was very instrumental; not only is he a friend but we love his designs,” says Parrish. “And even though we wanted things to be our aesthetic, we needed guidance.”

“Bill was like having our own Magic Eight Ball,” Quinn laughs. “We’d ask him about something and he’d say ‘Definitely,’ ‘Absolutely Not’ or ‘Try Again.’ He really helped us with that final 10 percent; he helped us pull the whole thing together. There were so many things that he could see that we could not. We were just too close to the project.”

In the end, the year-long wait was well worth it. “Once we finally moved in,” says Parrish, “it’s like being on vacation every day.”

CONDOMINIUM Luxe Midtown, 222 12th St., Atlanta 30309. (404) 347-2223; luxemidtown.com PRINCIPAL DESIGN AND BUILDOUT Matthew Quinn and Ric Parrish, Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio, 351 Peachtree Hills Ave. NE, Suite 234, Atlanta 30305. (404) 261-0111; designgalleria.net DESIGN COLLABORATOR William Stewart, William Stewart Designs Inc., 349 Peachtree Hills Ave. NE, Suite B3, Atlanta 30305. (404) 816-2501 GENERAL RESOURCES: PAINT COLOR – WALLS Benjamin Moore HC-105 Rockport Gray CEILINGS Benjamin Moore 1475 Graystone FLOORING Anthracite porcelain by Renaissance Tile & Bath, installed by Stone Pros ALL CABINETRY AND BUILT-INS Downsview by Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio SHADE CONTROL AND ELECTRONICS I Home CONSTRUCTION Shane Gillham and Felicia Nagy, Trammel Crowe Residential FOYER/POWDER ROOM: SCULPTURE Steven Olszewski PEDESTAL SINK Eryx sink by Matthew Quinn for MTI Whirlpools FAUCET Matthew Quinn Collection for Rubinet Faucet Company WALLCOVERING Ernest Gaspard & Associates DINING ROOM/LIVING ROOM: DINING TABLE PEDESTAL Julian Chichester through Holland & Co. DINING TABLE TOP Lagos Caesarstone, fabricated by Stone Pros WOOD BOWL Anatoly Tisiris through Alan Avery Art Company LARGE FACE SCULPTURE Decades Antiques FIREPLACE WALL Interlam CHANDELIERS Xoom HORSE SCULPTURE Jerry Hollister through Alan Avery Art Company COFFEE TABLE Christian Liaigre through Jerry Pair SOFAS Kravet PAINTING Tony Savoy READING LAMP Cassella through Ernest Gaspard & Associates RUG Underfoot Design KITCHEN: COUNTERTOPS Striata Mocha marble fabricated by Marmi Natural Stone FAUCET Elkay ALL APPLIANCES SubZero/Wolf HOOD AND SLIDING GLASS BACKSPLASH Custom by Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio DECORATIVE HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection DEN: SOFA Ligne Roset RECLINER De Sede by SwitchModern SWIVEL Context COFFEE TABLE Platner through Context RUG Underfoot Design DRAPERY Grizzel & Mann ART Hal Shwarze WOOD BALLS Oly Studio LAMPS Antiques & Beyond GLASS WALL Smyrna Glass MASTER BEDROOM: CHAIR Ligne Roset RUG Holland & Company BED Custom by Craig Swenson NIGHTSTAND Custom by Craig Swenson NIGHTSTAND Custom by Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio ART Hal Shwawrze BED LINENS Donghia DRAPERY Grizzel & Mann MASTER BATHROOM: SINKS AND BATHTUB Intarcia Collection by Matthew Quinn for MTI Whirlpools FAUCETS AND ALL SHOWER FIXTURES Matthew Quinn Collection for Rubinet Faucet Company HARDWARE Matthew Quinn Collection SCONCES George Kovacs MIRRORS Custom by Design Galleria Kitchen & Bath Studio COUNTERTOPS Caesarstone fabricated by Stone Pros TILE Renaissance Tile & Bath, installed by Stone Pros GUEST BEDROOM/BATHROOM: BED Room & Board BED LINENS Calvin Klein ART ON SIDE OF BED Yisrael Feldsott ART OVER BED Hal Shwarze ART AT BUREAU Hal Shwarze DRAPERY Grizzel & Mann SINK MTI Whirlpools FAUCET Kraus COUNTERTOP Caesarstone, fabricated by Stone Pros OUTDOOR TERRACES: DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS Barlow Tyrie CAFE TABLE Design Within Reach CLUB CHAIRS AND OTTOMANS Kartell CHAISES AND OTTOMAN Logan Gardens DECK AND FIREPLACE Timoney Construction PLANTINGS AND CONTAINERS Planters Inc. REFLECTING POND Atlanta Water Gardens