Bungalow Classic proprietors Courtney and Randy Tilinski may have filled their Memorial Park cottage with mostly creamy rooms, but the dining room is an evident exception. Moodiness, but also sheen, comes from the aubergine arrowroot wall cloth by Phillip Jeffries, which the pair sourced through Grizzel and Mann. A dark-metal drum pendant from Arteriors, a pair of antique teak shutters and a painted-finish dining table serve as punctuation points. The window treatments are Feather Jet by Atlanta artisan Clay McLaurin.
Pitched ceiling beams impart an old-fashioned charm to the living room, framing a conversation-friendly group of slipcovered sofas from Verellen—one of Bungalow Classic’s best-selling vendors. Statement lamps, a zinc-topped coffee table, reproduction library stands and rustic artwork retrieved from a French château serve as the room’s biggest dialogue-sparkers. The beaded-wood chandeliers are from Arteriors.
Pitched ceiling beams impart an old-fashioned charm to the living room, framing a conversation-friendly group of slipcovered sofas from Verellen—one of Bungalow Classic’s best-selling vendors. Statement lamps, a zinc-topped coffee table, reproduction library stands and rustic artwork retrieved from a French château serve as the room’s biggest dialogue-sparkers. The beaded-wood chandeliers are from Arteriors.
A living room alcove, complete with graceful Verellen armchairs, reflects the Tilinskis’ laid-back luxe approach to decorating.
The master bath contains one of architect William B. Litchfield’s signature windows, as well as a trio of framed Masao Yamamoto photographs (through Jackson Fine Art).
The at-home office—originally a porch in the 1950s—gives the Tilinskis a dedicated place to fire off final emails before heading to bed. Its diamond-patterned desk chairs are covered with an unusual quilted linen. The Madeline Weinrib flat-weave Mandala rug is a much-coveted classic.
Calacatta gold marble and a paneled vent hood create a cohesive look in the kitchen, while open shelves display an eye-catching collection of creamware. Prominently displayed is a print by artist Susan Hable, who maintains a close working relationship with Bungalow Classic. Windsor stool, Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.
Calacatta gold marble and a paneled vent hood create a cohesive look in the kitchen, while open shelves display an eye-catching collection of creamware. Prominently displayed is a print by artist Susan Hable, who maintains a close working relationship with Bungalow Classic. Windsor stool, Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.
The guest bedroom features an upholstered headboard covered in a cotton fabric by Clay McLaurin and a mounted eel basket, which contributes a rhythmic quality to the room. Bedside lamps, Thomas O’Brien. Linen fringe on drapes, Rogers & Goffigon. Rustic Muriel stool, Made Goods. Nanette chair, Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair.
“We wanted a proper master bedroom and bath, which this house didn’t really have when we purchased it,” says Courtney, who also applauds Litchfield’s approach for the stylish but efficient laundry room. The master bedroom was explicitly designed to accommodate the couple’s canopy bed and Thomas O’Brien side chests. It reads as ultra-feminine and inviting, thanks to the plush wool rug, antique French bergères and reflective surfaces.
“We wanted a proper master bedroom and bath, which this house didn’t really have when we purchased it,” says Courtney, who also applauds Litchfield’s approach for the stylish but efficient laundry room. The master bedroom was explicitly designed to accommodate the couple’s canopy bed and Thomas O’Brien side chests. It reads as ultra-feminine and inviting, thanks to the plush wool rug, antique French bergères and reflective surfaces.
The master suite leads to a third sleeping spot repurposed as a cozy, cocooning den. In this sumptuous lounge area, boxed valances covered in Kelly Wearstler fabric help the TV-watching space feel more contained, while the walls’ diamond-weave Phillip Jeffries grasscloth lends a handsome, textural effect. The framed artwork is by Helen Durant, an artist the Tilinskis discovered at The Goat Farm years ago. The alabaster lamp is by Visual Comfort.
The bright entryway contains a one-of-a-kind Shanxi buffet featuring a heavily distressed finish. The lamp is made from apple wood, while the mirror is an antique.
When Bungalow Classic proprietors Courtney and Randy Tilinski set out to create their charming Memorial Park cottage, it was a true labor of love. Though it perfectly embodies their timeless taste today, the 1950s residence was a royal wreck when the couple found it 13 years ago, having sat virtually untouched since the ’70s. Randy initially balked at its condition, but he loved the loftiness of the wooded lot and its proximity to their newly opened Westside shop, while Courtney saw beauty beneath the clutter.
Three years after slugging through a laborious cleanup process on their own, the couple called Atlanta architect William B. Litchfield for the real work, beginning a design collaboration Courtney describes as “a match made in heaven.”
Renovations, which began with cedar shake shingles on the exterior, were designed to defer to, rather than compete with, the neighborhood’s prevailing aesthetic. Expanding the footprint outward instead of upward, they still managed to stagger several of the ceiling heights, creating a pleasing rhythm from room to room. The living room benefited most from this dramatic treatment, its previously long, aperture-like proportions now soaring to a steep pitch, framed neatly with rustic wood beams.
Once-narrow hallways were expanded by an entire foot, establishing a breezy passage while maximizing sight lines from the front to the back of the house. Wooden wall paneling and lovely windows—loads of them—reflect further hallmarks of Litchfield’s handiwork, adding architectural character as they brighten dark corners. “There’s a New England charm to it, but also a California lightness,” Randy says of the residence.
To enhance every detail, the Tilinskis executed a monochromatic palette Randy compares to “coffee and cream.” The serene, neutral scheme is perfectly suited to their busy lifestyle, which often includes working overtime. “We call it our big hotel suite,” Courtney adds with a laugh. It’s such a simple, efficient little house … with everything in its place.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the duo’s decorating was also dialed back, incorporating pieces that are pretty but not precious—slipcovered linen upholstery, statement-making lamps, organic textures—reflecting the same spirit of their beloved Atlanta boutique.
“We bought a lot of things with the intention of putting them in the store, but we fell in love with them so much, we took them home with us,” Randy says. The antique Belgian bank vault, the Oly armoire, the weathered rabbit statuary on the dining table and even the curious eel baskets have followed the pair from home to home.
Ultimately, it’s their intuitive approach that makes the Tilinskis’ expertly executed design decisions appear so effortless; they see beyond the trends, choosing items that become not just current obsessions but bona fide classics.
INTERIOR DESIGN Courtney and Randy Tilinski, (404) 351-9120; bungalowclassic.com. ARCHITECTURE William B. Litchfield Design, 480 East Paces Ferry Road, Suite 4, Atlanta, GA. (404) 467-4600; litchfielddesigns.com.
