A Vintage Buckhead Bungalow Gets a Rich Revival To Launch a New Homeowner’s Fresh Start

A welcoming skirted table in the grasscloth-wrapped foyer provides a key drop and place to flaunt fresh flowers from the front yard’s cutting garden.

The bungalow, built in 1930, is around the corner from Buckhead’s Duck Pond and boasts a range of inviting outdoor entertainment zones.

Designer Lauren DeLoach drew green tones into the formal living room to honor its front garden view.

A misty landscape by Michael Dines through Holland MacRae sets an ethereal scene in the dining room. Chairs from William Word Fine Antiques are upholstered in a deep green velvet from Holland & Sherry.

An antique French barometer from Foxglove Antiques Collective mingles with ironstone tureens and the homeowner’s silver collection.

Fresh fabrics refresh the kitchen designed by Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio, in collaboration with Judy Bentley, for previous owners. A trio of barstools from Charles Stewart are upholstered in durable blue leather and backed with a pop of paisley, both from Kravet.

The family room features a mix of antiques from Acquisitions Interiors and Foxglove Antiques Collective for a patinaed but unpretentious hub of activity.

The side entry “bridges several different rooms, and we aimed to convey that with subtle color choices,” says DeLoach. The Moattar rug serves as a unifier, pulling green from the dining room and blue from the kitchen.

DeLoach painted the primary bedroom walls Farrow & Ball Light Blue—one of her favorite colors—and placed a custom woven alpaca rug underfoot. Drapery and bedskirt fabric from Namay Samay features “adorable florals that reveal more character the closer you get,” says the designer.

The guest bedroom is clad in cheerful cornflower blue checks for a cozy reprieve. Lamps by Mrs. Howard and bedside tables from Acquisitions Interiors support bedtime reading.

The primary bath features an original clawfoot tub surrounded by beadboard trim. The rug is from Designer Carpets.

Brown and blue is a favorite color combination of the designer’s, which she chose for the homeowner’s handsome library workspace. An antique Spanish desk from Jacqueline Adams Antiques holds court and a textural Scalamandré wallpaper hangs overhead.

The outdoor living room, designed to complement the adjacent family room, features a lighter color palette and seating from Logan Gardens.

“It’s like a little sanctuary in the middle of the city,” says DeLoach of the intimate outdoor dining area, which overlooks the pool and is hugged by the main house and carriage house.

A faux bois set from Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts and an antique marble-topped garden table enhance the charm of a pocket garden off the dining room.

New beginnings can be at once daunting and full of possibilities. For designer Lauren DeLoach’s client, a widower seeking a new home from which to fortify his spirits and embark on his next chapter, a 1930s bungalow steps from Buckhead’s Duck Pond was just the place.

Though nearly a century old, the home was renovated by Norris Broyles Architects, Inc. and Adam Pollock of Castlehaven Construction under former owners to yield a contemporized cottage with alluring historical touches intact. “The house exudes vintage charm thanks to the compartmentalized layout and architectural details, like antique French beams and a granite fireplace in the formal living room, that make it feel like a jewel box,” says DeLoach.

And the nearby intimate dining room is certainly a gem. “At night, it glows,” says DeLoach, due in part to string lights that shine from the adjacent, pocket-sized secret garden. The cafe lights bounce off the 19th-century Swedish chandelier and the custom antique mirrored cabinet, which houses the silver collection of the owner and his late wife, creating a “twinkly, sparkling space,” according to DeLoach. The designer upholstered the walls in a sophisticated, muddy green fabric and trimmed it with antique brass nailheads, a technique she debuted in a showhouse that her client admired.

This atmosphere of warmth and delight is woven in all directions, fostering a new start for her client that is both grounded and uplifting. In the formal living room, a medley of enchanting fabrics and trims—linen draperies, a cut velvet armchair, and skirted stools in a silk linen check—infuses a sense of welcome. “Adding layers of texture makes a room feel collected, even though we compiled the elements simultaneously,” says DeLoach.

The soothing blue and green color story launches with muted tones in the grasscloth-wrapped foyer for a soft, polished effect that grows more saturated and lively in the kitchen and family room. “I like to cross-reference colors to create cohesion,” says DeLoach. For example, the fawn-hued living room sofa with tape trim is a callback to the taupe foyer walls, and the show-stealing cobalt range in the updated kitchen (designed by Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio, in collaboration with designer Judy Bentley, for previous owners) inspires the crewel medallion upholstery and damask drapes in the family room. “You know you’ve seen the color, but we’ve added a little something new to each iteration so it feels fresh yet familiar.”

DeLoach’s dedication to crafting connected spaces is further evident in the easy flow out to the bungalow’s inviting open-air spaces, including a poolside dining area and a covered patio. There, generous wicker seating with contrast piping beckons loved ones to gather around a durable pine coffee table atop a striped rug in the home’s signature shades.

The convivial nature of the home is much like the relationship between DeLoach and her client. “He was open-minded and gave us room to breathe,” recalls DeLoach. “Having such freedom is a gift and always provides the best result in the end.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Lauren DeLoach, Lauren DeLoach Interiors, (404) 748-4932; laurendeloachinteriors.com PREVIOUS RENOVATION ARCHITECT Norris Broyles, Norris Broyles Architects, Inc., (404) 800-4798; norrisbroyles.com PREVIOUS RENOVATION BUILDER Adam Pollock, Castlehaven Construction, (404) 876-7051; castlehavenconstruction.com