Blurred Lines

Sliding glass walls with pocket doors-which open to wrap-around porches on both levels-blur boundaries between indoors and out in this modern home designed by TaC Studios. The sofa was designed by TaC Studios and fabricated by TecnoSedia with Mohair fabric from Maharam. It is joined by a pair of vintage MR Lounge chairs designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (from City Issue) and a Knoll Womb chair and ottoman.

Cara Cummins and Jose Tavel designed outdoor terraces-bordered by a stainless-steel rail system (designed by TaC Studio and fabricated by Jeff Harness of Advanced Ironworks)-for the homeowners to enjoy treehouse-like views. Turned wood stool, The Nicholson Gallery.

To soften its approach from the street-and marry the modern home to its Midtown location-the architects designed granite landscape walls that engage the exterior and soar skyward.

The Terzani chandelier from Illuminations hangs above the room like a silver cloud. Custom red oak table, Skylar Morgan. Cherner counter stools, Design Within Reach. Screens, Phantom Screens.

The couple loved the SieMatic cabinets from their previous home, so they selected the company’s channel cabinets for this kitchen. Counters, Silestone. Appliances, Miele. Faucet, Blanco.

A two-story window in the stairway allows natural light to illuminate a jewel-like, dangling sculpture the homeowners commissioned from New York artist Afruz Amighi.

This long interior hallway on the main floor was designed to both highlight the homeowner’s significant art collection and to protect tit from the sun. A contemporary sculpture by Bryan Hunt is given pride of place on the far wall and completes the gallery-like setting.

A sliding door creates a clean entrance to the terrace from the master bedroom. The custom oak headboard and pecan beside tables were fabricated from trees harvested on-site. Striped throw, The Nicholson Gallery. Pyramid sculpture, Authentique Home.

A polished limestone wall in the master bath references limestone used on the exterior. TaC Studios designed the mirrors and cabinetry. Cabinetry, Block and Chisel. Counters, Silestone.

TaC Studios designed the exterior spaces with Southern hospitality in mind. Covered terraces and the outdoor kitchen and dining area are accessed from multiple areas of the home. A cabana at one end of the lap pool provides relief from the hot Southern sun-and scenic Midtown views. Outdoor furniture by Brown Jordan at Kolo Collection.

Georgia granite and limestone-materials Cummins and Tavel had seen while strolling the Ansley Park neighborhood-were selected for the home’s exterior. Groupings of planters serve to soften the edges of this modern home.

The site, previously home to an apartment building that had burned down in the 2000s, had left buried debris and other materials on the half-acre site. When Cummins and Tavel first walked the site and the neighborhood—the initial step in a 16-month design and construction process—the architects discovered that they could engage the existing Deodar cedar and magnolia trees and use materials, terraces, porches and garden walls to keep the modern home from looking like it “landed from outer space,” Cummins says.

Utilizing granite and limestone, wrap-around terraces on two levels and the guidance of landscape architect Jeremy Smearman of Planters all served to soften the approach from the street. “We didn’t want to have this huge, hulking façade,” she says. “We wanted to create a slow-appearing house from the street. We wanted it to settle in and be a good neighbor.” It was a fresh opportunity for the homeowners, who were moving from the suburbs and desired a home that would not only would age gracefully in the historic neighborhood, but also marry the indoors with the outdoors.

Also important: creating gallery-like spaces for the homeowner’s extensive and diverse art collection. Early on, the architects reviewed more than 60 pieces in the couple’s art collection, including a historically significant collection of lithographs, photographs, paintings and sculpture by Bryan Hunt, Afruz Amighi, Karin Davie and Ross Bleckner, to make sure wall space and niches would adequately display and protect the pieces.

Adding to the home’s one-of-a-kind appeal is furniture handcrafted by a local artisan using wood harvested from a dying pecan tree and a red oak previously on site. Pieces such as the master bedroom headboard and nightstands, floating built-ins in the second-floor office/guest room, a vanity and even accessories, from wood-turned bowls to cutting boards, received a showstopping second life.

Marrying the modern property to its Midtown location—which includes scenic city views from the tree-lined property—required deft maneuvering. Putting elements in place to keep the views intact required exacting precision, so TaC Studios enlisted The Garrett Group to lead the construction.

The resulting sliding glass walls and pocket doors blur the boundaries between the indoors and out on both levels, joining rooms to each other and to spacious, tree-lined outdoor spaces. In addition to entertaining often, the homeowners’ four grown children still gather at their parent’s new urban abode, so the main-level outdoor space includes a kitchen, dining area and lap pool—in addition to a front porch positioned high enough to take in skyline views through the property’s trees.

Keeping in mind that the homeowners would look down on the flat roof above the gym from their second-level balcony, Cummins and Tavel engaged Live Roof to install a green roof, which joins a geothermal system and high-performance windows as sustainable additions to the home.

The homeowners, who have embraced the Southern twist on modern, enjoy the hospitality the indoor-outdoor connection affords. “Most of the time when the clients are at home, there’s no use for doors,” says Cummins.