Fresh Start

The Chastain Park home, designed by architect Amanda Orr, leans traditional but with playful touches such as in the cheery blue door and unique copper overhang.

On a table in the family room, china from the homeowners’ wedding holds special significance as the mint green reminds the wife of her grandmother’s dining room wall color.

The light and bright family room, with its clean base of neutral tones, proved the perfect spot to layer a Thibaut fabric the homeowner had instantly fallen in love with.

An Oushak rug through Parviz Oriental Rugs and a lantern-style pendant from Circa Lighting create a welcoming hello in the foyer. The artwork is by Katherine Sandoz through Spalding Nix Fine Art.

Mix-matched chairs from Lee Industries and an antique sideboard surround a table by Leighton Hall Furniture in the dining room, where the homeowners spend much of their time entertaining friends and family. Dorothy Draper drapery fabric gives the space a youthful edge.

Storage is of no shortage in the kitchen where classic white cabinetry by Phoenix Millworks is complemented with brass accents and navy blue counter stools. A paneled door conceals a butler’s pantry containing shelving and an additional sink and dishwasher.

As avid entertainers, the sophisticated emerald wet bar—which features its own walk-in wine cellar—is a favorite corner of the home for the couple. The artwork is by Renee Bouchon through Gregg Irby Gallery.

As avid entertainers, the sophisticated emerald wet bar—which features its own walk-in wine cellar—is a favorite corner of the home for the couple. The artwork is by Renee Bouchon through Gregg Irby Gallery; the faucet is by Brizo.

The breakfast area includes a table from the homeowners’ previous house—painted a rich navy blue for a fun pop of color—and is surrounded by Lee Industries chairs upholstered in a punchy Perennials fabric.

In the mudroom, lockers keep messes at bay while terracotta flooring adds visual interest and masks dirty footprints.

Designers Angela Means and Danielle Carney reserved saturated color for smaller spaces, such as the mudroom bathroom swathed in Sherwin-Williams Courtyard green. Leather pulls and shiplap walls imbue masculine flair.

To give the wife the elegant powder room she desired, Means and Carney lined the space in a graphic blue-and-white Lee Jofa wallpaper.

Though the wife, who previously worked in a gallery, took lead in choosing most of the artwork in the household, her husband surprised her with a triptych by Trish Andersen through Spalding Nix Fine Art that now hangs prominently in a hallway.

A sizable arched window allows light to pour into the primary bedroom, located in its own wing of the home. The pattern on the drapery and pillow fabric—Arbe Toile by Fabricut—mimics the bedroom’s scenic outdoor view.

Light gray cabinetry by Phoenix Millworks and Calacatta Cremo marble on the countertops and bathtub lend a clean, classic appeal to the primary bathroom.

When a couple and their two young boys began the hunt for a home that would fit their active lifestyle, it’s no wonder they landed in Atlanta’s Chastain Park. So, when the perfect lot appeared with a not-so-perfect 1950s ranch built in a floodplain, the homeowners called in an expert design team to build a home that was tailored to a T. 

Left with an existing footprint, architect Amanda Orr started piecing the puzzle together of a traditional-style home with modern touches and an updated, more functional floor plan. Timeless exterior features lend classic curb appeal, where painted brick and wood siding act as a clean canvas for a slate blue door and complementing copper overhang. Inside, arched doorways and curved windows lend a bit of gracefulness to the open floor plan, which begins in the entryway with the formal dining room before pinwheeling back to common areas. Clever workarounds—such as a mudroom that became a second office space when needed or a basement-style transformation on the third floor—make the home more conducive to the family’s needs. “The floor plan isn’t traditionally laid out, and we knew it was paramount to get not only the flow but the sightlines between each room just right,” says Orr. 

The same can be said for the interior design, where designers Angela Means and Danielle Carney of Means Carney Interiors introduced clean, classic elements that stand the test of time—and stand up against dirt and spills. “With two active boys it was important for her to make sure the house was not only beautiful, but also livable; a place where family can relax and not feel stressed about the wear and tear of daily life,” says Means.

Performance fabrics in bold patterns dress rooms in both form and function. Because the wife is an art enthusiast with an appreciation for bright colors, the designers infused happy hues throughout. The wet bar, a favorite space of the
homeowners who are avid entertainers, is bathed in a rich green, while other spaces, such as the breakfast area, primary bedroom and family room are a lesson in layers with traditional blue and green fabrics commingling with various neutral tones and textures. “Our interior selections are always inspired by our clients” shares Carney. “The fabric choices reflect some of the homeowner’s wardrobe staples, like her navy handbag or fabulous green boots.”

Though the homeowners wanted space to comfortably fit dozens of guests during dinner parties, the home also had to have pockets where each family member could retreat. The mudroom is a catchall for baseball gear and backpacks, but also contains a desk for a quiet corner to complete homework or answer emails. Outside, a covered porch’s cozy fireplace and seating offers a year-round escape.

 And with the project completed just before the pandemic, the homeowners were granted the time to truly settle in and relish their perfect home, says Orr. “During shelter-in-place, [the wife] kept saying, ‘It feels like we’re on vacation.’ There’s nothing more we could have asked for.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Angela Means and Danielle Carney, Means Carney Interiors; meanscarneyinteriors.com ARCHITECT Amanda Orr, Amanda Orr Architects, (404) 550-7494; amandaorrarchitects.com BUILDER David Shepherd, David Shepherd Construction, Inc., (678) 758-5000 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Miss Madden, Missy Madden Landscape Architecture, (404) 218-4132; missymaddenland.com