Davenport Designs Reimagines a Historic Brookhaven Condo for a New Generation of Homeowners

A Travis & Company sofa frames an acrylic table floating above a custom ottoman.

Tucked into the living room, a built-in nook is anchored by chairs upholstered in Pierre Frey with Samuel & Sons trim, offering a cozy counterpoint to the room’s larger seating area.

In the foyer, designer Lauren Davenport introduced a soft palette with walls coated in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and furnishings and artwork in greens, blues, and beiges.

In a quiet corner of the living room, a Barbara Flowers artwork from Anne Irwin Fine Art and a collection of drabware plates anchor the vignette.

Custom iron chandeliers by Andrew T. Crawford Ironworks set the tone of the living room, while chairs upholstered in Fabricut add to the plush mix of seating.

In the dining room, a Barbara Flowers painting anchors the space above an antique sideboard, while chairs by Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair and a Joseph Konrad chandelier lend refinemen

While no structural changes were made, Davenport added freshness to the kitchen with crisp cabinetry in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and Visual Comfort & Co. pendants.

Venetian plaster walls by Franchesca Decorating and cabinetry finished in Sherwin-Williams’ Quarry Stone create a rich, layered backdrop in the bar.

A valance and dust ruffle in a Chelsea Textiles check anchors the bed in the primary, while stools in a geometric Cowtan & Tout pattern and graphic Pindler drapes add to the mix of prints.

Atop the primary bedroom’s Hickory Chair dresser sits a Visual Comfort & Co. lamp paired with Gramercy candlesticks. r

In the primary bathroom, Thibaut’s Carlotta wallpaper and a Gramercy vanity stool upholstered in Cowtan & Tout introduce soft pattern and color.

In an elegant guest bedroom, an antique chandelier illuminates a bed upholstered in Kravet with a Fabricut gimp and a Four Hands bench.

In the second guest room, a bed dressed in Matouk linens creates a crisp, tailored foundation.

Alongside a Brice Ltd. chest, a chair in a Zoffany fabric makes for a cozy corner in the warm-toned guest room.

Schumacher’s Agra Sisal wallpaper plays up the powder room’s height and architectural detailing, while sconces from A. Tyner Antiques add a vintage note.

In interior design, full-circle moments are rare—which makes them especially rewarding. Such was the case for designer Lauren Davenport of Davenport Designs, when the new homeowners of a Historic Brookhaven condo she designed 17 years prior asked her to return and refresh the residence. “It was such an honor,” says the designer. “You don’t often get the opportunity to design the same place twice.”

The couple, longtime admirers of the space, were drawn to the traditional bones and layered interiors. Working with architect Clay Ulmer—who designed the original building and consulted on structural changes—and builder Matthew Morris of MT Morris Construction, Davenport’s goal was to preserve the essence while lightening the mood. “It was a way to give it a new life for the homeowners, but still keep the original aesthetic they fell in love with,” she says.

The first step was softening the original earthy palette of deep reds and browns with soft creams, pale blues, and touches of sea green. The shift in hues sets the tone for the rest of the home, where the updates read as subtle but intentional, with a mix of reconsidered furnishings, fresh finishes, and layered textures.

Targeted changes reshaped how the spaces connect. Widening the cased openings between the kitchen, dining room, and living room allowed light to flow through and created a more fluid design. The kitchen’s footprint remained the same, but refinished white cabinetry, quartzite surfaces, a decorative hood, and faux-painted ceiling beams that evoke reclaimed wood “gave it a facelift,” says Davenport.

In the dining room, the team removed bookcases beneath an arched wall, creating a more intentional moment with an oil painting by Barbara Flowers above an antique console. In the living room, the designer created zones within the spacious layout, taking advantage of the built-in banquettes flanking the fireplace to create nooks for cozy game nights, morning coffee, or casual meals. Meanwhile, the central seating area hosts bigger groups. “You can be part of the larger conversation or have a more intimate moment,” muses Davenport.

In a moment of contrast to the home’s soft palette, Davenport embraced the bar’s lack of natural light and layered in deeper tones that highlighted the existing barrel ceiling and antique doors framing the entry. But blues and whites return in the primary suite, where textiles—a mix of patterns in the bedroom, and sky-colored drapery along the tub and behind cabinets in the bathroom—layer in additional softness. “It all came down to the details,” says Davenport. “Those subtle moments that make it feel like their home.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Lauren Davenport, Davenport Designs, (404) 405-1788; davenportdesignsltd.com ORIGINAL ARCHITECT Clay Ulmer RENOVATION BUILDER Matthew Morris, MT Morris Construction; (404) 375-0129; mtmorrisconstruction.com