Two Atlanta Homebuilders Bring Their Storybook Home to Life in Buckhead

In the formal entry, the illusory detailing of the front floating staircase immediately draws the eye. A painting by Chris Ulivo hangs over a Casa Gusto cabinet.

Mature trees surround the 4-acre Buckhead property and create privacy for the garden, swimming pool, and outbuildings.

Clad with painted wood siding accented by brick and stone, the Southern Colonial Revival looks as if it might have been built in the early 1900s and added onto over the decades.

Midcentury chairs by Edward Wormley for Dunbar and an antique carpet from Parviz Oriental Rugs create a stylish conversation spot.

A textural fabric-backed wallcovering with a botanical print by Fermoie befits the stately great room’s location overlooking a lush garden by homeowner Don Donnelly.

Inspired by luxury cars on trains like the Orient Express, homeowner Pam Sessions clad the bar’s walls in a striped fabric-backed wallcovering from Ainsworth-Noah, the ceiling painted in a complementary hue. The lamps are by Visual Comfort & Co.

Described by the owner as the “cooking-with-friends kitchen,” the space includes a large center island by Keystone Millworks, a storage-packed scullery that houses small appliances, and a walk-in pantry. Seated on a modern stool by Bill Sofield from Baker, the owner’s Pomeranian approves.

n antique Louis XVI cherry commode circa 1900 with an original marble top from J. Tribble has been repurposed as a vanity in a moody powder room on the main level.

A wallcovering by Robert Kime through Ainsworth-Noah enlivens the walls of an upper-level guest suite. The sconces are by Lumfardo.

A wallcovering by Robert Kime through Ainsworth-Noah enlivens the walls of an upper-level guest suite. The sconces are by Lumfardo.

A floral wallcovering from Scandinavian Wallpaper accented by textural elements, such as the grasscloth covering the ceiling, foster a cozy milieu in a guest suite.

above left Antique side tables from Robuck flank a custom bed covered in fabric by Schumacher in the primary bedroom suite.

Handcrafted by Keystone Millworks, the custom cabinetry in the primary bathroom features an elegant, curved edge that softens the ambience. The painting is by James McLaughlin Way.

The primary bathroom includes a separate shower, water closet, and custom built-in cabinetry by Keystone Millworks.

The grounds include a courtyard potting garden located outside the orangery.

The grounds include a courtyard potting garden located outside the orangery.

Designed by town planner and residential designer Lew Oliver in the Hollywood Regency style, a pair of outbuildings housing a restroom and mechanicals flank the swimming pool terrace.

right A stately structure serves as the entrance to the pool garden.

The home’s upper terrace overlooks the sprawling garden and swimming pool area, where lounge chairs from Lane Venture offer a relaxing spot to sunbathe.

double-pitched roofline and painted siding elevate the home’s detached two-car garage. below

Wooden double doors punctuate the white stucco wall surrounding the bosky 4-acre property in Buckhead.

Newly prioritizing nature, wellness, and strong relationships after the pandemic, residential homebuilders Don Donnelly and Pam Sessions of Hedgewood Homes acquired a wooded 4-acre parcel in Buckhead and began to imagine the possibilities. Ultimately, the couple tapped decades-long colleagues, tradespeople, and suppliers to make their vision a reality. “They were excited to flex their muscles, try new things, and see what we could create, so it was very special,” says Sessions. “We pushed the envelope.”

The result is a three-level Southern Colonial Revival brick and frame home with stonewall accents that looks like it might have been built in the 1920s. “They wanted a place that wasn’t about showmanship, but felt like it belonged,” says Lew Oliver, the home’s residential designer and an associate of the couple for more than three decades. The grounds feature several outbuildings, including a swimming pool, pavilion, bathhouse, and garden shed designed in the Hollywood Regency style. Newly installed landscapes by Mark Dobbs surround the home with a variety of garden rooms.

The interior architecture takes inspiration from stately old Southern manors, featuring handcrafted millwork, paneled portals, and a pleasing rhythm of spaces of varying sizes and ceiling heights. “The spaces play off each other experientially,” says Oliver, pointing to the contrast between the soaring ceilings in the spacious great room and the low ceilings in the adjacent bar.

Color amplifies the effect. Embracing the bar’s compact size, for example, Sessions had its ceiling, wainscoting, and built-in cabinetry painted in a deep green hue that coordinates with a striped wallcovering. The cornice framed ceiling and millwork in the great room have likewise been painted in a dark color to complement the walls, which are covered in a dark blue fabric with a botanical print.

The arched windows overlooking the garden echo a pleasing array of curves that flow throughout the interior. The dining table’s live edge plays off the furnishings around the fireplace and in the open kitchen, where an oak island with curved edges juxtaposes the white perimeter cabinetry. Adding a dash of drama are the Calacatta Viola countertops, which the couple first saw at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London—one of many nods to their travels throughout the interior. “This home is eclectic, collected, and very personal,” says Sessions.

Offering numerous interior and exterior gathering spaces, the couple entertain far more frequently since moving into their new abode, hosting dinners, parties, and salons. In one of their first gatherings, they raised a glass to everybody involved in their home’s construction—many of them longtime friends—to celebrate a job well done. “I can see all of the people I work with in each room every day, and that’s very meaningful to me,” says Sessions. “This feels like home.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Pam Sessions, Hedgewood Homes, (404) 281-3744; hedgewoodhomes.com RESIDENTIAL DESIGNER Lew Oliver, Lew Oliver, Inc., (706) 754-7667; lewoliverinc.com