Elements of Style

Schumacher’s Tropical Isle wallcovering makes a dramatic statement in the living room of this Buckhead abode. Lee Kleinhelter balanced its scale with natural elements, such as the pearlized teak ball and a woven area rug.

The kitchen of this Sovereign residence was already imbued with finishes in blue undertones, so Kleinhelter “whited-out” the backdrop and layered green and blue hues throughout the space. Green cylinder pendants, chrome-and-wood dining chairs, a steel X-base table and Lucite-and-chrome bar stools and hide rug from Pieces.

Schumacher’s Tropical Isle wallcovering makes a dramatic statement in the living room of this Buckhead abode. Lee Kleinhelter balanced its scale with natural elements, such as the pearlized teak ball and a woven area rug.

The master bedroom is clean and serene, with pops of blue in the form of an emerald hide rug, mirrored herringbone credenza and wave-stitched pillows complementing an all-white scheme. Rider, an English cream golden retriever who is also a fixture at Kleinhelter’s Buckhead boutique, Pieces, is partial to the hide.

Tufted white chair, silver grasses pillow, Moroccan pouf, hide rug, cork lamp, glass lamp, mirrored credenza and accessories from Pieces.

To camouflage the building’s architectural angles, the designer suspended the guest bed from the ceiling and selected a “busier” wallpaper. Driftwood ball chandelier, geometric wood table, ribbed end tables, sheep, lamp and pillows from Pieces.

In lieu of hanging art in the hallway, Kleinhelter secured papier-mâché objects from the ceiling.

The windowless den is subtly illuminated by a shimmery grasscloth wallpaper and a pair of glow cubes. It’s also the perfect place to lounge, as her son, Holden, does here.

To counter the blank expanse of a long, curved wall in the kitchen, Kleinhelter fastened ceramic egg shapes to the wall to add depth and subtle pattern without competing against the large-scale Schumacher print.

One must first know the rules in order to break them. That may be the basis of the classic reference book, The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, but the dictum translates just as easily to the tenets of good design. And if there’s one Atlantan who is not only well-versed in the language of design, but also knows how to bend tradition to her liking, it’s Pieces boutique owner Lee Kleinhelter.

An interior designer who cut her teeth with some of the best in the business (Dan Carithers and Barbara Westbrook to name two), Kleinhelter’s style leans toward the bold and unexpected—but always with an unequivocally fun approach. So when the long-time Sovereign resident was invited to design a model unit at the Buckhead high-rise, she jumped at the chance to visually stretch her imagination.

Using the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel as her inspiration, the design statement began in the living room (with views spanning from Buckhead to downtown), where she covered a wall in a large-scale tropical Schumacher print. “This space is very open with walls of windows,” Kleinhelter says. “We didn’t want it to feel like a jungle but to be the beginning of a story.”  That narrative became largely about taking risks, as she envisioned a homeowner for whom this condominium was not a primary residence. In the guest room, for instance, she suspended a bed from the ceiling and selected a “busier” wallpaper to camouflage the building’s architectural angles, a solution that draws the eye towards the floating element of the bed rather than the angular walls that make the room asymmetrical.

And in the hallway, in lieu of hanging art on the walls, the designer secured papier-mâché objects to the ceiling for an ethereal white-on-white effect. Also living up to the fun factor: Kleinhelter installed a faux-boxwood wall in the master bath as an interesting counterpoint to a room full of stone. “One great thing about having the freedom to design what you want is to say, ‘How can we do this, and do it differently than we’ve ever done before?’”she says.

But, as any good adventurer knows, there are limits. As Kleinhelter says, “it’s all about editing and knowing when to stop.” Because the designer is familiar with the high-rise lifestyle—she shares a Sovereign residence with husband Kevin, son Holden, step-daughter Madison and English cream golden retriever Rider—she also wanted the space to be comfortable (and whimsical) enough to appeal to children and pets. In the windowless den, a silver grasscloth on the walls adds shimmer, while sculptural grapevines eliminate the need for framed art. Coffee table cubes, which also illuminate, add subtle light in the space. It’s a beautiful balance of scale, texture and color that’s simply elementary for this designer.