Photography by Tria Giovan
In the design world, phrases such as “casual elegance” and “family-friendly” are often used in describing magazine-worthy homes. This is not one of those homes. It is formal and traditional in the strictest sense, with fragile porcelains and fabrics that render a red wine spill a crisis. “It’s not the way most people live these days,” says designer Susan Lapelle. “The owners had raised two rambunctious boys, and once their children were grown, they saw the opportunity to live the way they wanted to without worrying about durability.”
The 1950s house sat on a beautiful lot in the Buckhead area of Atlanta and had space for expansion, so the couple decided to renovate it and add every longed-for amenity. They called upon Lapelle and architect Yong Pak to create their ultimate empty nest. “The home had a great French sensibility, which we built on,” says Pak. “The steepness of the roofline was correct, but we replaced all the doors and windows, added dormers, and doubled the square footage of the house with two wings off the rear to create a courtyard area for a pool.” Inside, Pak added crown moldings and paneled the library. Additionally, he brought in stair maker Timothy Johnson to design the commanding staircase that defines the entry hall. It now swoops upward past an 18th-century Flemish tapestry and a pair of gilt sconces.
Lapelle then fleshed out the couple’s collection of art and antiques with additions from Atlanta’s many antiques dealers. The living room, with its ethereal elegance, features bouillon-trimmed sofas interspersed with velvet-covered bergères and chinoiserie coffee tables, a classic traditional hat trick. An antique painted screen hangs behind the settee, echoing the faded pastels of the Oushak rug. A collection of cerulean glazed 19th-century porcelain birds adds a pop of color. Similarly, the dining room shines with melon-colored walls and a stately arrangement of furniture.
The master bedroom is resplendent with lush layers of bed hangings. Lapelle converted an antique wood carving into the valance, which only hints at the structure of a canopy bed rather than overwhelming the room. The classic blue-and-white color scheme asserts its timeless perfection, setting off the rich wood finishes and lending a serene ambiance to the space.
Outside, landscape architect Richard Anderson restored the wife’s established camellia garden and designed a pool area. Garden designer Alex Smith planted a lush herb garden with pea gravel paths separating the beds in classic French style. For the exterior of the home, Pak added features that exemplify the same traditional principles found inside. “We took the basic French style it already had and amplified it with French doors, a new front façade, and the formal courtyard,” says the architect. The result is a long-awaited dream-turned-reality for these empty nesters.
