High Style

Great Room 

Kelly Anthony and Jenn Balcos, Wolf Design Group with Swoox

Inspired by the rich green of Serenbe’s treetops, Kelly Anthony set out to create a palette of evergreen, black and white with warm metal tones, keeping patterns understated and few. Most notably, a pair of Rose Tarlow sofas and several vintage brass dining chairs are upholstered in a luxurious Italian green silk velvet and mingle with items such as a dressmaker console designed by BoBo Intriguing Objects, a parchment-topped black bench from Lillian August and a cocktail table originally from South of Market. “I wanted it to feel very organic and collected,” says Anthony, who furnished the space almost entirely with goods from her Buckhead consignment store, Swoox. And in a community that promotes sustainability and repurposing, Wolf Design Group’s philosophy proved a perfect fit. “This demonstrates what a high-end designer can do with secondhand goods. We’re reinventing what consignment can look like,” she says.

VINTAGE LUCITE ICE BUCKET, VINTAGE BRASS BAR CART, AUGUSTE GARUFI SCULPTURE, CHARLES HERNDON SCULPTURE, BLACK LACQUERED DEMILUNE SIDE TABLES, OWL PHOTOGRAPHY AND BLACK LACQUERED BOX Townhouse by Robert Brown VINTAGE FRENCH TROUGH PLATTER WITH GREEN MOSS Nicholson Gallery BLACK CANE DINING CHAIRS, IVORY BOILED-WOOL PILLOWS AND FROSTED GLASS VASE baker VINTAGE FRENCH CHOPPING BLOCK AND PERUVIAN MINI WOODEN BOWL WITH SPOON Nicholson Gallery ALL OTHER ITEMS Swoox

Hallway

Tami Ramsay and Krista Nye Nicholas, Cloth & Kind

“We had been toying with the idea of a custom wallcovering for a while, and when we saw this long hallway, we knew it would be the perfect opportunity,” says Krista Nye Nicholas. “What could have been a very Spartan space—without the traditional use of furniture—allowed our first product design to really shine.” Though she and Tami Ramsay had worked with Oakland, California–based Paper Mills on many previous custom projects, this was their first creation from scratch. The design evolved over time (120-plus hours of labor and artistry by owner Amy Mills, to be exact) to reflect a narrative that resonated with Serenbe’s classic Southern landscape. Expert installation allowed the mural to bend beautifully around the room’s many angles (including geometric ledges at the far end). Accenting without detracting are circular ikebana vases of pea pods and cotton—whose bolls, Ramsay notes, are quite sculptural in themselves.

WALLPAPER custom by Amy Mills, Paper Mills, available through Cloth & Kind CERAMICS R. Wood Studio and Sookjae Art PAPER LANTERNS Cloth & Kind

High Style, Dec 2016

Kitchen

Nancy Duffey, Scout for the Home

 Nancy Duffey was fortunate to work in concert with her husband, J. Ryan Duffey (the building’s architect), to beautify this showhouse’s sun-drenched cooking space. Together with kitchen designer Kingdom Woodworks, the pair sought to express the natural beauty of the oak, adding a lime wax that provided a lovely coloring in contrast with the reclaimed floors. The room’s heavyweight moment is its combined vent hood and shelving concept, where everything blends into the backdrop as a single built-in component. Collections of local black-and-white pottery were selected on an ethos of quality over quantity to reflect the restrained luxury of Serenbe’s pastoral community. An island features gold-flecked quartz forming an elegant waterfall edge, while brass wire stools accent this element without obscuring it. “The room is very open-concept, yet cozy,” Duffey says. “You could have dinner by yourself here and not feel alone.”

CABINETRY Kingdom Woodworks FLOORING authentic reclaimed floors APPLIANCES Thermador COUNTERTOPS LG Hausys, fabricated by Miami Circle marble FAUCET Renaissance Tile & Bath HARDWARE Holland Interiors BLACK GLAZED CERAMICS B.D. Jeffries and Noah J. & Co. ADDITIONAL ACCESSORIES Noah J. & Co. RUNNER Keivan Woven Arts ALL OTHER ITEMS Scout for the Home

Keeping Room

Bradley Odom, Dixon Rye

 The penthouse’s multipurpose game room/study/lounge was designed to double as a sleeping spot when company comes calling. “I just want to curl up here with a blanket and drink bourbon,” says designer Bradley Odom. The daybed’s rich green velvet is a near match to the walls, so it blends in like a built-in. “I think dark colors in a small space can feel very much like a cocoon,” he says. “Plus it created a blank canvas for the other pops of color.” While it carries the stately, moody masculinity for which Dixon Rye is known, the room’s mix of design influences stands out most. “I imagine the owner as someone who has collected things over time—some traditional, some midcentury, some contemporary,” says Odom. “A house should be a mix of everything you love, and if you have great taste, it just works.”

CEILING PENDANT R Hughes WALL SCONCE Workstead HARRY CUSHING CONTEMPORARY ART Gerald Bland FRAMING Antonio Raimo Galleries ABACA SISAL RUG Patterson Flynn Martin OUSHAK RUG Keivan Woven Arts FABRICS Schumacher, Lee Jofa and Holland & Sherry ALL OTHER ITEMS Dixon Rye

Studio 

Melanie Davis and Lacey Sombar, Melanie Davis Design

“Because the showhouse benefits the Art Farm at Serenbe, I thought it would be fitting to [turn the bedroom into] an artist studio—specifically, that of a textile artist,” says designer Melanie Davis, who is an artist herself. Anchoring the space behind an airy Lucite desk is a vintage peacock chair and, beyond it, various “textile hoops” that form further punctuation points, especially in tandem with a round mirror to the workspace’s left. Fabrics from Miles Redd, Kelly Wearstler, Peter Fasano and others round out the art installation, while African mud cloths add a touch of rusticity. Black trim adds a crispness that transitions well to the outdoor dining area, while a black-and-white Moroccan rug, midcentury fixture (Serge Mouille’s three-arm ceiling lamp) and vintage brownie cameras flanking the door continue the high-contrast color palette.

VINTAGE PEACOCK CHAIR designer’s own ACRYLIC DESK Peekaboo desk by CB2 DESK LAMP Cleo by Kelly Wearstler BOOKS ON DESK B.D. Jeffries FABRICS ON TEXTILE HOOPS vintage african mud cloths, Miles Redd for Schumacher, Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks and GP & J Baker through Lee Jofa, Dedar through Jerry Pair, Peter Fasano through Travis & Company VINTAGE BOBBINS AND SPOOLS collected from various vendors across the U.S. and in Belgium and France MOROCCAN RUG Keivan Woven Arts CEILING FIXTURE Serge Mouille through Design Within Reach

Corridor 

Steve McKenzie

“I always think of a settee in an entrance hall as an invitation to come on in and be comfortable,” says Steve McKenzie, who embraced the sophisticated modern lifestyle a penthouse affords. “Since this space had no natural light, we avoided making it too bright, making it something it’s not.” The designer selected a mod and moody Mitchell Black paper with a bronze motif that serves as the perfect backdrop for a classical sunburst mirror, a pair of compelling pink quartz specimens atop vintage gilt brackets and, of course, the cocooning custom-built bench. Perfectly proportioned for the tall but narrow space, the winged piece is upholstered in an embossed olive shagreen with a slight metallic tinge. The flanking buffalo leather–topped walnut tables were handcrafted in Asheville, North Carolina, while the hand-beaded Indian pillows are sold through the artist’s eponymous store, Steve McKenzie’s.

WALLPAPER Mitchell Black through Steve Mckenzie’s GRAND LOTUS CHANDELIER Currey & Company OUSHAK RUNNER Moattar, LTD. QUARTZ SPECIMENS Harmonious Living by Tish Mills Interiors WALNUT SHEPHERD COCKTAIL TABLES The Old Wood Co. through Steve Mckenzie’s ALL OTHER ITEMS Steve Mckenzie’s

Master Suite 

Kristen Marooney Walls and Shane Robuck, ROBUCK

“I had just purchased the 19th-century brass bed in Toledo, Spain and had it polished. I knew it would pop in this room with the warm wood and all the texture from the hand-brushed Chateau Domingue limewash,” says Shane Robuck, who worked with design partner Kristen Marooney Walls to create a suite replete with Italian, Spanish and French antiques. Even the bathroom boasts 17th-century Italian mirrors. “I imagined a person who traveled constantly, with Serenbe as their refuge in the U.S. They wanted to be surrounded by nice books, interesting art and maps,” Robuck says. Notable pieces range from a pair of French leather chairs flanking a scantonata credenza to an elaborately detailed 17th-century Italian carriage trunk, to 18th-century Kashmir throws that served as the impetus for the design. “These were very en vogue in 19th- century Europe as shawls,” Robuck notes.

MINERAL LIMEWASH Bruxelles, Domingue Architectural Finishes TURKISH OUSHAK RUG Keivan Woven Arts BEDDING Peacock Alley CONTEMPORARY OILS ON CANVAS Pryor Fine Art ALL OTHER FURNISHINGS, ART AND ACCESSORIES Robuck MASTER BATH  SHOWER WALL Neolith fabricated by Miami Circle Marble SHOWER DOOR Atlanta Glass & Mirror TILE Porcelanosa FAUCETS Renaissance Tile & Bath CABINETRY Kingdom Woodworks COUNTERTOPS LG Hausys, fabricated by Miami Circle Mable  

Lobby 

Susan Hable Smith, Hable Construction Inc.

Setting the stage for welcoming a well-traveled tenant is Athens-based artist and textile artisan Susan Hable Smith’s self-defined “eccentric” design vision. Just outside the elevators, a chenille-upholstered chair and ottoman from Smith’s contemporary furniture collection for Hickory Chair provide a perch upon arrival, and an industrial floor lamp acts as the perfect foil to for the landing’s glam brutalist pendant. Smith’s own India-ink florals on paper provide eye candy, while the adjoining space features a plentitude of pieces by friends—one wall covered in a collage of oils by Carol John, plus photographs by Rinne Allen and Christy Bush. These preside over a curry-colored Moroccan rug, a primitive bench, pillows in Smith’s personal fabrics and an assortment of hats culled the world over. Summing things up, she says, “I prefer unconventional spaces like these so I can be my unconventional self.”

ARTWORK Susan Hable, Christy Bush, Rinne Allen, Carol John and Hope Hilton CHAIR Mimi Chair by Hable for Hickory Chair OTTOMAN Hable for Hickory Chair, available through Bungalow Classic or Hickory Chair Furniture Co. PILLOWS covered in Hable Textiles and Hable for S. Harris Textiles ANTIQUE HATS, INDUSTRIAL FLOOR LAMP, ANTIQUE MOROCCAN RUG, designer’s own 

Powder/Laundry Room 

Anna Braund, Anna Braund Interiors

“Serenbe has always been a special place to me,” says Braund. “Our best friends married here, and I always come here for respite, to get away.” This deep understanding inspired the designer to play with elements of nature and artistry in her adjacent laundry and powder room spaces. A floral, paper-backed Clay McLaurin fabric adorns the walls of the powder room, where a gold-flecked quartz runs up the wall to ground the unlacquered brass fixtures Braund had professionally replated. Reflected in the antique mirror glass is a collection of resin tortoise shells. Nearby, a Michael S. Smith wallpaper adds interest to the laundry room, where an étagère serves as surplus storage for Indian kantha quilts, wool throws, layers of pottery and baskets. “To me, a laundry is not just utilitarian; I like to display its things in a lovely way,” says Braund.

powder: CABINETRY Kingdom Woodworks COUNTER AND BACKSPLASH LG Hausys, fabricated at Miami Circle Marble MIRROR Antonio Raimo Galleries UPHOLSTERED WALL FABRIC Clay Mclaurin Studio through Ainsworth-Noah  
laundry room: OUSHAK RUG designer carpets SHELVES, BARSTOOL, QUILTS, VASES Bungalow Classic LINENS Gramercy Fine Linens & Furnishings

Outdoor Porches

Bjork Studio and Kolo Collection with Sunbrella 

To play up the rooftop’s expansive square footage and unbeatable views, Atlanta design firms Bjork Studio and Kolo Collection collaborated with outdoor textile giant Sunbrella (which the latter retails) to create a collective dream of a Hollywood-glam outdoor party space. Kolo’s Michelle Martin envisioned the French doors flung open, revelers filtering in and out freely and gathering in intimate conversation groups—perhaps around the fire pit—or dining at the custom Skylar Morgan table. A black-and-white striped pergola above touts tassels made from Sunbrella’s signature solution-dyed yarns, the result of an abiding partnership between the brand and Bjork’s upholstery workshop. Bjork also created the custom color-blocked ottomans, made completely new cushions for three chic lines of outdoor furnishings—Brown Jordan, Dedon and Cane-line—and even fashioned round ball pillows inspired by vintage Palm Springs. “They’re literally just for fun,” says Martin. “You can throw them at your friends during the party.”

INDOOR/OUTDOOR FABRICS provided by Sunbrella ALUMINUM, WOVEN AND CONCRETE OUTDOOR FURNITURE; FIRE PIT; AND PLANTERS Brown Jordan, Dedon and Cane-line through Kolo Collection UPHOLSTERED OUTDOOR FURNITURE, CUSTOM CUSHIONS, CUSTOM PILLOWS, OTTOMANS, TRIM and AWNING Bjork Studio PLANTINGS AND LANDSCAPING Floralis BAREFOOT DINING TABLE Skylar Morgan Furniture + Design through Kolo Collection BRAIDED SUNBRELLA RUG Colonial Mills through Bjork Studio 

Photo by Ali Harper

Architecture 

J. Ryan Duffey and Jeremy Griffin, J. Ryan Duffey Architect Inc.

This exactingly engineered stick-frame, brick-clad structure was the first commercial venture for J. Ryan Duffey’s eponymous, 4-year-old Buckhead practice. But it is undoubtedly this well-admired architect’s experience with residential design—particularly his mindfulness about where furniture is placed within a space—that has imbued it with such unquestionable charm. When Duffey’s firm learned, two years in, that the penthouse would become a showhouse, he was delighted to upgrade some of its interior features; though the residence still features a wallet-friendly, simplistic trim package, Duffey worked in tandem with designer Melanie Davis to select striking finishes like the local LG Hausys Viatera quartz countertops, richly finished oak floors reclaimed from a textile mill, progressively styled Circa Lighting fixtures, Porcelanosa tiles and mixed metal hardware (white bronze, light bronze, oil-rubbed bronze) seen throughout.

Landscape Architecture 

Lucinda Bray and Tyne Martinez, Floralis Garden Design & Landscape Architecture

Endeavoring to achieve a sense of place despite the design site’s unusual location (perched upon the roof of Serenbe’s Textile Lofts), “it was important to establish the feeling of outdoor ‘rooms’—mimicking the architecture inside the penthouse, but also carrying that sense of containment past the walls and into the open air,” explains landscape architect Lucinda Bray, who worked alongside design partner Tyne Martinez to create a cohesive, but multifaceted scheme along the roof’s noticeably sprawling square footage. Transforming a formerly utilitarian-looking plane are artificial turf and lush container plantings of ferns, succulents and more that soften the lines of the surrounding hardscape. The ground-floor courtyard also received the duo’s expertise—via simple teak furnishings and a custom copper spa. Care of Diamond Spas, the water element is more than accommodating of Mother Nature; it will patina marvelously.

CONTAINER PLANTINGS Floralis Garden Design LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION & IRRIGATION Coggin Inc. COPPER SPA Diamond Spas ARTIFICIAL TURF Maxwell Gardens UPHOLSTERED OTTOMANS Bjork Studio COURTYARD UPHOLSTERY Lacefield GAMES Venture Shuffleboard