Winter Renewal

The cabinetry by Atlanta’s Best Cabinets—who selected Neolith countertops in the kitchen—echo Shawn Amtower’s streamlined approach. The custom stools by Bjork Studio are upholstered in a Joseph Noble faux leather. The custom hardware is by DLV Designs and the pendant is from Circa Lighting.

Simplified architecture allows the lighting and art to shine, says Amtower. Black and brass combine in the front foyer, including the round chandelier from Arteriors, custom floating mirror from Grey and pin brass candlesticks from R Hughes.

A custom concrete-topped table by Grey is surrounded by velvet slipcovered chairs from Restoration Hardware in the new breakfast room. The custom chandelier by Avrett and Rosemary Hallgarten alpaca linen drapery from Holland & Sherry are both through R Hughes.

Amtower transformed the family room, removing a massive, stacked-stone fireplace as well as heavy moldings from the archways. Custom waterfall tables with white concrete tops from Grey and a glass- and-brass chandelier from Williams Sonoma Home add lightness, as do sofas by Dmitriy & Co. and pillow fabrics through R Hughes.

A commissioned painting by Hutton Snellings echoes the palette shift to soft blues and creamy whites. The room is accented by rich fabrics, as in the velvet pillows from Peridot West and a stool fringed with horsehair by Konekt with Holland & Sherry velvet through R Hughes.

Channeled banquettes and end chairs upholstered in Sunbrella are by Bjork Studio. The custom furnishings continue with the charcoal-stained table with brass accents and sideboard with a smoky mirror top by Grey. The brass mirror and marble sconces are from Restoration Hardware.

Draperies from Romo and a chandelier from Restoration Hardware contribute to the streamlined aesthetic of the dining room.

Chairs upholstered in Kravet velvet and the existing piano provide contrast against the white walls and art from B.D. Jeffries. The glass-top side table is from Townhouse by Robert Brown.

A gallery hallway is a study in brass, marble and white with a console from Restoration Hardware, lamps from Williams Sonoma Home, art from Dixon Rye and the hands stool from Global Views.

An iron banister and pllows and chair covered in Kravet velvet contrast with the white walls and white oak floors. The art is from Redefined Home Boutique and the John Liston architects stool is through R Hughes.

The designer often brings in pattern with wallpaper, such as the marbling design by Zoffany through Grizzel & Mann layered with a mirror by Restoration Hardware. The arrowhead art is by Max & Company.

The grandchildren’s bedroom is sweet but sophisticated, with black poster beds and velvet bedding from RH Baby & Child. The animal sketches are by Stephanie Wheeler through Swoox.

The master bath, for which Amtower earned a Bath of the Year award from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles in 2018, features a freestanding Victoria + Albert tub and a spacious steam shower with double doors.

A makeup vanity area with custom cabinetry can be closed off behind pocket doors.

The master bath, for which Amtower earned a Bath of the Year award from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles in 2018, features a freestanding Victoria + Albert tub and a spacious steam shower with double doors.

The serenity of a bathroom can spark the best ideas, even renovation projects. Designer Shawn Amtower won the trust of her Vinings clients with a luxurious master bath remodel, a past Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Bath of the Year award winner. Once complete, the couple decided, “We’ve got to keep it going,” she says.

Just as in the bathroom, Amtower set out to clear away heavy elements, such as molding, stacked-stone fireplaces and heart pine floors, that lent to the formerly traditional, darker interiors. She replaced small windows in the kitchen, dining, family and living rooms with new iron versions by Forge Fine Steel painted the same white as the walls and trim, instead of the traditional black. 

She leveraged her clients’ appreciation for the bathroom’s creamy whites, soft taupes and pale grays with the palette reset. “I stripped everything down and just like to have it very peaceful, to where everything looks soft and beautiful,” says Amtower, founder of Amtower Interior + Design.

The resulting monochromatic design, accented with charcoals, allows the landscape behind the steel windows to provide natural color. Modern choices and custom furnishings are balanced with rich fabrics, pillows and draperies, including lush alpaca linen on recessed tracks. “It was miles and miles of this fabric,” she says. 

Satin linen fabric draperies and Italian porcelain tile dressed up the expanded master retreat, which features a Victoria + Albert tub and steam shower. There she turned a hallway into a makeup vanity area, and looked for the same design opportunities elsewhere in the home.

Removing the columns between the kitchen and family room made the space feel huge, says Amtower, who worked with Mike Hammersmith General Contracting. Once they reclaimed that space, Amtower turned her attention to one area that she could embellish without distracting from the polo fields outside the windows. She built out the ceilings with trim in a clean, stair-stacked design that gives the kitchen, breakfast area and family room their own identity and a soft, subdued feel when lit. Near the kitchen, she downsized a bathroom into a powder room to carve out a pantry in the breakfast area.

The family room layout, with custom coffee tables at each sofa, keeps the space open so that the sleek white fireplace, which was once stacked stone and now has a plaster surround, takes center stage. “The fire to me is the coolest feature in any room, so I’m all about framing the fire,” she says.

INTERIOR DESIGN Shawn Amtower, Amtower Interior + Design. (404) 272-6323; amtowerdesign.com