By Alice Doyle | Photography by Marcy Black Simpson
Sherry Hart’s clients knew their Brookhaven house of 25 years needed a lot of work. They had planned to move to a more updated home but simply couldn’t find anything that spoke to them. So they called upon Hart and her team of top professionals to work their makeover magic. The designer immediately saw that underneath the tired exterior and dated interiors, the home had those proverbial good bones with lots of space in a very desirable Atlanta neighborhood.
Architect Linda MacArthur came up with a plan to alter the first floor by taking out a few walls, removing an awkward second staircase, completely renovating the kitchen and baths, and adding a laundry room and powder bath upstairs. The exterior received a fresh coat of soft white and a pleasing gray hue for the trim, as well as an arched front door finished in a dark brown walnut stain, a refurbished outdoor lantern, and new landscaping. Inside, Hart brought in sophisticated touches with a subtle Thibaut modern damask wallpaper and Oushak rug in shades of blue and muted coral.
Blue, a favorite color of the clients, serves as a thread to connect the rooms, used lightly in some spaces and more energetically in others. “We did keep the red Sausalito tiles in the foyer, though,” says Hart. “We used a specialty painter to stain them, and they turned out better than I expected.”
The kitchen, now completely unrecognizable from its former state, offers both luxury and practicality. Forgiving bluestone floors work well with pets, and a hardworking pantry tucks away the busyness of the kitchen—the microwave, freezer, warming drawers, and wine cooler. Hart added a punctuation mark to the mostly white space in the form of an oak island. The same wood appears in the arched niche for the stove that includes convenient shelves for spices and cookbooks. “The oak warms up the bright kitchen and keeps it from looking too sterile,” says Hart. “It also creates a nice balance against the more contemporary marble backsplash.” For the hardware, the designer chose polished nickel. “We didn’t jump on the trend of brass,” Hart says. “Polished nickel stands the test of time.”
As with most of the original house, the family room was caught in a time warp with its faux-finished walls and bold-patterned fabrics. Hart grounded the space in neutrals and allowed color to come through in the pillows, art, and accessories. “It’s a continuation of the theme throughout the house,” she says. “The result is a fresh, classic look that can be enjoyed for many years to come.”
Find more photos of this beautiful redesign in our January/February 2018 issue!
