Grounded with Grace

An arched wooden wall anchors the formal living room, where custom upholstered seating from The Charles Stewart Company adds sit-and-stay appeal and an Andrea Costa painting provides pops of color.

A pair of iron-and-glass doors by RG Ironworks fashion a grand entrance into the foyer, where an industrial pendant from Circa Lighting hangs above an entry table.

When it came to building his personal dream home, Atlanta builder Michael Ladisic compiled a dream team: architect Linda McArthur, designer Sherry Hart, landscape architect Graham Pittman and kitchen designer Matthew Quinn.

The façade of this Peachtree Park abode belies its 9,000-square-foot size. The architectural aesthetic favors a contemporary coastal style, using natural elements like limestone, painted brick and iron. Limestone surrounds from Materials Marketing. Stone from Stone Center.

Influenced by the architecture of Rosemary and Alys Beach, the exterior boasts a contemporary coastal style with a Texas limestone façade and large windows.

Working with Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria, Ladisic chose Calacatta Ondulato marble for the countertops and built a custom hood with brass accents. Cabinets, Downsview Kitchens and Fine Custom Cabinetry. Sconces and pendant lights, Currey and Co. Stools, McAlpine Home at Holland & Co. Copper pot, The Gables Antiques. Copper strainer and cutting board, Foxglove Antiques. Jar, The Stalls.

Quinn designed the butler’s pantry to overlook the pool. He selected the pomegranate color to contrast with the cabinets in the kitchen.

Grounded with GraceA high-tech coffee bar in the living room is a useful addition for both entertaining and repose.

An industrial globe pendant from Circa Lighting hangs over the entry table in the foyer, where a curved staircase creates a striking entrance.

The family room’s 20-foot iron doors (which boast a paned dog door), bring in streams of natural light and open onto the patio. Plush Lee Industries sofas offer guests cozy seating. Painting through Huff Harrington Fine Art.

As frequent entertainers, the family wanted plenty of seating, especially during the holidays. The Charles Stewart Company chairs and Kravet head-of-the-table seats are covered in an indoor/outdoor fabric, a saving grace for party fouls. Crystal chandeliers from Circa Lighting add rays of elegance.

As frequent entertainers, the family wanted plenty of seating, especially during the holidays. The Charles Stewart Company chairs and Kravet head-of-the-table seats are covered in an indoor/outdoor fabric, a saving grace for party fouls. Crystal chandeliers from Circa Lighting add rays of elegance.

Contemporary pendants from Currey and Co. through Design Lighting Group illuminate the bar’s pecky cypress façade. Hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection.

Framed botanicals and a charming settee provides a casually elegant transition area between the dining room, bar and stair hall.

The 18-foot barrel-vault ceiling in the master bedroom is more dimensional thanks to antique-finished wooden boards. Judy Long, a decorator friend of Lisa and Michael, devised the solution for arched door shutters for privacy and to protect from harsh lighting.

Pillows by Lacefield cover the custom porch swing–meets–day bed that’s perfect for afternoon catnaps.

Large marble sheets from Renaissance Tile and Bath line the master bathroom floors in a herringbone pattern. Instead of using traditional bullnose pieces to edge the tiles, Ladisic used Schluter strips in metal for a modern feel.

White Glassos covers the counters and some walls. Hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection.

Large marble sheets from Renaissance Tile and Bath line the master bathroom floors in a herringbone pattern. Instead of using traditional bullnose pieces to edge the tiles, Ladisic used Schluter strips in metal for a modern feel.

In addition to comfortable seating areas, the formal living room also offers a chic desk space overlooking the leafy neighborhood.

Thanks to large, leaded windows, natural light pours into this neutral-hued bedroom.

Ladisic and his family spend ample time outdoors, so extra care was taken to make the courtyard comfortable and inviting.

Underscoring the relationship between indoors and out, a lush courtyard designed by landscape architect Graham Pittman boasts a fireplace and water feature.

A pecky cypress bar with mirrored backsplash and brass accents creates a textural touch of glamour in a transitional space.

Michael and Lisa Ladisic relax with daughters Clara, Annie, Margaret, and Rachel. The pool house includes one guest room and a glass garage door that opens to the backyard.

Growing up in a Pennsylvania coal mining town with 700 people, Michael Ladisic never imagined himself building breathtaking homes in a city boasting half a million residents. After moving to Atlanta, where he practiced as an attorney and small-business owner, Ladisic renovated his family’s former home in Peachtree Park as a weekend hobby. Soon after, neighbors and friends started knocking on his door. By 1998, Ladisic was bursting at the beams with requests. He decided to build his former pastime into a full-time career and started Ladisic Fine Homes.

As a premier builder in Atlanta, Ladisic has cultivated some of the finest homes and renovations in the area. So when he finally caught his white whale—a large vacant lot in Peachtree Park that he’s had his eye on for 17 years—he became his own client and teamed up with architect Linda MacArthur, interior designer Sherry Hart and kitchen and bath design expert Matthew Quinn for the personal project of a lifetime. Here, Ladisic opens up about building his dream abode from the ground up.

AH&L: We love how you and your family are “lifers” at Peachtree Park.
Michael Ladisic: We have lived here for 27 years and love our terrific neighbors. Everyone is friendly and neighborly. And like us, many people have lived in multiple houses in the community—this is our fourth home in the neighborhood.

But you’ve always had your eye on one particular property.
We tried to buy this single lot from the owner for more than a decade. And 17 years later, it was ours. We knew it was the one because it was nestled on a larger, flatter lot, making it ideal to build a home that used the entire footprint for a sprawling, light-filled house.

What inspired the style of the home?
I’ve always admired the architecture of Rosemary and Alys Beach on the Florida coast, so architect Linda MacArthur helped me collect my scattered ideas into a cohesive design. The home’s coastal influences can be seen with the Texas limestone façade and large windows that connect the entire home with the light-filled yard. I wanted the house to be dramatic and inspire people to think outside the box—when everyone wants big baseboards, go super small and thick.

The exterior is composed of a mix of natural elements.
I tried to balance simplicity with enough details to make the home interesting. The front façade combines Texas limestone from Stone Center of Georgia, oversized brick that we painted and large leaded windows from Hardeman Fine Art Glass. But the front iron doors from RG Ironworks really set a big, dramatic tone for guests as they enter the house.

The fluid interior boasts interesting architectural features and textures.
I love the home’s great sight lines—from the cased openings through the dining room to the beautiful curved foyer and staircase that make a beautiful entry statement. In the sitting room, the couch is anchored behind a large arched cutout that was originally intended to be wine cellar. (We determined it was odd since we’re not crazy wine connoisseurs.) Interior designer Sherry Hart advised that we add grass cloth for texture and paint all the ceilings pale gray to warm up things. In the master bedroom, we did a dramatic 18-foot barrel-vault ceiling lined with 2-inch boards in an antique-patina finish by Larry Hoyt.

The entire home feels connected with the lush outdoors.
We spend so much time outside. The courtyard was the one element of the project that made everything come together. Natural light pours into every room of the house, and the family room’s 20-foot iron doors open into the courtyard to act as an extension of the room. My wife loves to garden, so we teamed up with landscape architect Graham Pittman to design a cozy space—even though it’s surrounded by tall walls.

You and your wife, Lisa, have four daughters—how have they influenced the home?
The house was built to accommodate large groups of friends, while there is room for Lisa and I to get away if we need some peace when the girls come home from college. I’ve also always had grandiose dreams of having at least one wedding in the backyard. The terrace off the master bedroom lends itself to a grand entrance for the bride onto the lawn. Thankfully, the girls are on board with this idea.

BUILDER Michael Ladisic, Ladisic Fine Homes. (404) 495-0708; ladisicfinehomes.com
ARCHITECT Linda MacArthur, Linda MacArthur Architect. (404) 233-4771; lindamacarthurarchitect.com
INTERIOR DESIGN Sherry Hart, Sherry Hart Designs. (404) 234-2768; sherryhartdesigns.com