by Andrea Fanning | Photography by Emily Jenkins Followill
Always bright colors—that is part of lawyer and emerging party planner Katie Newsom’s personal philosophy. So when she and her husband, Sedgie, bought a circa-1925 home in the Druid Hills area of Atlanta, she saw it as an opportunity to give the Mediterranean Revival–style structure new life with a makeover of prismatic proportions.
“We lived in it for about a year before starting renovations,” says Katie. Small kitchen, dated appliances, the not-so-charming version- of-retro bathrooms—she laughs and adds, “It was interesting. But you really get a good feel for the house. And we then knew we wanted a bigger kitchen and family room. I think we were just naïve enough to take on the project, not really understanding exactly the scope and scale of what we were getting ourselves into with it.”
The Columbus, Georgia, native scoured magazines and blogs, looking for someone to help make her kaleidoscopic dreams a reality. “I wanted color, but it had to be sophisticated,” explains Katie, “and that’s hard to pull off; I wanted traditional, but with a twist.”
Enter Katie Rosenfeld. The Boston-based designer is also a Florida native and could relate to the homeowner’s love for Lilly Pulitzer. And so the two Katies embarked on a fun-filled adventure to transform the space. Says Rosenfeld, “This project was a two-year endeavor and true pleasure.”
Over the course of a few visits to each other’s respective cities and countless Skype sessions and design boards, the pair had outfitted the space with a clever mix of pattern, texture, and, of course, color. Rosenfeld’s contribution was key, lending an expert eye to the details and a high-elevation overview for the home as a whole. “Spaces should be comfortable, safe, and continually interesting to look at,” says Rosenfeld, “but flexible enough to meet the demands of family life and the changes that come with a life well lived.”
