Tour This Midtown Home That Blends Classical Architecture With Fresh Design

“Most people don’t use a lot of space for an entry,” notes designer Melanie Turner, who took the opposite approach. A table by Custom Furniture & Cabinets and M2L chairs create a place for pause.

In the foyer, Turner used a mix of white, gray, and black marble from Source to create immediate impact upon entry.

In the living room, a custom sectional serves as a place to gather. A painting by America Martin through TEW Galleries, ottomans in a Clarence House fabric, and a Scout Design Studio swivel chair in an Élitis textile create contrast with the otherwise neutral room.

Light and bright defines the kitchen with cabinetry by Karpaty and a marble backsplash and counters from Ciot. Surrounding the Tritter Feefer table are Warren Platner chairs from Eternity Modern. Visual Comfort & Co. fixtures hang above the island.

Moody color and a mix of patterns define the dining room, in which a Thibaut grasscloth covers the walls. The Artistic Frame chairs are sheathed in a Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks velvet. Above the Tritter Feefer table hangs a Hudson Valley Lighting Group chandelier.

Turner created a masculine vibe in the powder room thanks to hand-painted wallpaper by Bethany Travis of Penshaw Hill, a custom marble-topped vanity by Karpaty, and an Arteriors mirror.

A wavy wood Storied Roots chair and Branch Home coffee table in a deep maroon marble infuse retro vibes in the music room. A Phillip Jeffries wallcovering serves as a textured backdrop to the America Martin painting.

The homeowner serves up cocktails in the marble-topped lounge bar by Karpaty. The Phillip Jeffries cork wallcovering adds texture and depth, while the Regina Andrew ceiling fixture adds to the sensuous vibe.

Softness ensues in the primary bedroom with drapes in a Romo fabric behind a Verellen bouclé bed. An M2C Studio fringe chandelier hangs above the Miami Circle Floor Coverings rug.

The homeowner wanted his bathroom to feel like one in a luxury hotel, so Turner installed a Barclay bathtub and encased the space in marble from Source; the chair is Baker.

Turner embraced the daughter’s favorite color, creating a soft purple bedroom. A bolster pillow in a bold Fabricut textile tops the custom bed.

An Anthropologie chair and curvy Crate & Barrel desk makes for a charming homework space.

Shades of blue dominate the son’s room with Benjamin Moore’s Polaris Blue on the walls, a Bernhardt bed in a Romo fabric, and an Interlude Home sofa. The artwork above the bed is by Esteban Patino.

To soften the rectilinear appearance of traditional brick homes, architect Linda MacArthur incorporated soft curves into the front exterior of the Midtown abode.

The active family loves using the backyard pool and then gathering around the Four Hands dining table for arts and crafts.

Even though the home is a new build, MacArthur used classical design techniques to ensure that it felt at one with the historic homes in the neighborhood. Land Plus followed suit with a traditional landscape design.

Even though the home is a new build, MacArthur used classical design techniques to ensure that it felt at one with the historic homes in the neighborhood. Land Plus followed suit with a traditional landscape design.

Even though the home is a new build, MacArthur used classical design techniques to ensure that it felt at one with the historic homes in the neighborhood. Land Plus followed suit with a traditional landscape design.

There’s something to be said for starting anew. It allows one to look inward and consider personal priorities. Such was the case for a single dad looking to create a new home. He was drawn to the interiors of luxury hotels, but the house also needed to be kid-friendly: elevated but not precious.

After admiring one of her previous projects, the homeowner tapped Linda MacArthur of Linda MacArthur Architect to create a home rooted in classic designs, but with a modern, more welcoming approach. “He wanted a brick house and those are very rectilinear,” says MacArthur, who worked with builder Craig Bass of Avalon Custom Homes. “We brought in curves to make it alluring.”

Those curves, along with Art Deco influences, can be seen throughout the home, including in coved ceilings, streamlined architectural forms, geometric patterns, and the dramatic stair railing that immediately welcomes guests.

Following suit, interior designer Melanie Turner ran with this directive, imparting shapely furnishings, luxurious materials, and carefully considered color. The foyer’s black, white, and gray herringbone tile sets the tone immediately. “The entry pulls you in,” muses the designer. “It makes you want to see the rest of the home.” Adds MacArthur: “Right away you know you’re in a cool house.”

Cool may be an understatement. Colorful paintings by artist America Martin add punch to the living and music rooms, the latter nodding to the 1970s thanks to its patterned rug, shapely furniture, and touches of burnt orange and deep maroon. Designed for the whole family, Turner covered furniture throughout the home in performance fabrics and centered the living room’s design around a large sectional. “We knew that the children would be bebopping all over it,” she says. And while the music room may seem to be an unusual space for children to gather, the piano is used for the son’s music lessons. An open kitchen also allows for family bonding, and the kids can’t get enough of the backyard—landscaped by Land Plus—thanks to a pool and a patio where they enjoy arts and crafts.

There are a couple of rooms, however, that are designed for adults: the statement-making dining room and deep blue, color-drenched lounge, which was designed around a very specific need—the client is color blind. “He can read blue and red, but he can’t read green,” explains Turner. The moody room’s cork-covered walls, glass pendants, and a mix of art create a vibe ideal for cocktails and listening to vinyl records.

After an evening of entertaining, the serene primary bedroom offers a private escape—once again providing a balance between sophistication and easy living. “The entire home is stylish but approachable,” notes MacArthur. “It has something for the whole family.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Melanie Turner, Melanie Turner Interiors, (404) 250-0134; melanieturnerinteriors.com ARCHITECT Linda MacArthur, Linda MacArthur Architect, (404) 233-4771; lindamacarthurarchitect.com BUILDER Craig Bass, Avalon Custom Homes, LLC, (404) 401-1433; avaloncustomhomes.net LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Land Plus, (404) 238-9595; landplusassociates.com