Happy Medium

The antique Italian mirror over the fireplace “really does make the place,” says homeowner Jared Sapp, though he admits it took convincing to purchase.

The color of the vintage channeled velvet armchair was just right, says Ryan Hughes of R Hughes showroom, who mixed a Liaigre side table from R Hughes with a vintage coffee table. The side table overflows with plants; gardening is Sapp’s newfound passion.

The wall-to-wall sheers nearly blend into the walls of the main room, which are painted Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White. Look closely to see Sapp’s plaster bull hanging on the range. “It’s a nice reminder that we are living on a farm,” he says. Hughes was excited to see these modern stools (Powell & Bonnell through R Hughes) in a more traditional setting outside of his showroom.

An L-shaped banquette upholstered in dark green vinyl by Pindler is the cornerstone of the breakfast room, which feels extra private when the curtain is drawn.

Living just steps away from Serenbe’s medicinal garden has turned Sapp into an avid plant lover who incorporates greenery throughout his interiors and exteriors, as witnessed in the home’s side entry.

Living just steps away from Serenbe’s medicinal garden has turned Sapp into an avid plant lover who incorporates greenery throughout his interiors and exteriors, as witnessed in the home’s side entry.

The artwork, dresser, chair and ottoman are from R Hughes’ Lost & Found collection. The runner, pictured and opposite, matches the Moattar rug in the living room. “We loved the linen texture, but it was too big so we cut it up to use throughout the house,” says Hughes.

The giant red metal light fixture was found in the basement of an antiques store and turned into the master bedroom’s light fixture. “At night it glows like a giant red orb against the green Phillip Jeffries grass cloth walls,” says Sapp.

Farrow & Ball’s Down Pipe is “a dark, mysterious color that’s kind of a blue and kind of green,” says Hughes, who applied it to the guest room walls.

Sapp created a gallery wall to display the female oil portraits that he collects from his travels. The scowling woman in the floral dress started off the whole collection. “I found her in Lacoste, France. There are a lot of emotions and moods here, which is a nice reminder that everyone has a story to tell,” he says.

“I saw this house on Serenbe’s Instagram feed one day. It just stood out,” says Ryan Hughes, founder of R Hughes showroom, who called his good friend and real estate agent Jared Sapp to go look at it. At the showing, Hughes convinced Sapp—who was not seriously in the market at the time—that this small brick cottage was just the escape Sapp needed. Even in Atlanta’s feistiest traffic, Sapp can get from his modern Midtown high-rise to this soulful spot in Serenbe’s Mado community in under an hour.

Before Sapp had much time to question the idea, Hughes made a deal-sealing offer to oversee the decorating of the still under-construction home. He also volunteered the design services of his R Hughes partner, Steven Leonard. Both men are adamant that they are not decorators, but Hughes had a hunch about this house and the deal was done. Plus, “Jared made a solemn promise to let us run with it,” says Leonard. 

“I sell real estate for a living, but I had to let the reins go on this one and trust the designers, not the client,” says Sapp. Quickly things ensued, a darker finish on the floors was specified and the refrigerator was upgraded to a hidden panel front style. Then the three friends began the interiors process. 

Privacy was a concern, and Leonard devised the idea to drape both sides of the main room in simple white sheers. “That really helped define the space,” says Hughes, who had long admired the channeled sofa from Dixon Rye. “Green just felt like the right color,” he explains of the fitting choice for the agrarian setting that he pulled all through the small house with contrasting splashes of saffron and mustard. The best part of designing with your friends? Getting margaritas at Superica before going shopping for finds. “It was important to me that the house felt collected and acquired, which is hard to do in six months,” says Hughes. The happy client admits: “There’s a lot of personality in here and it’s so comfortable.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Ryan Hughes and Jared Sapp, R Hughes, (404) 607-8877; r-hughes.com