Written by Tiffany Adams | Photography by Erica George Dines
“Sophisticated, functional, and comfortable.” That’s how Amy Morris describes the home she designed for a young Atlanta family. “There are a lot of nice pieces, but they’re all very welcoming,” she says. The home, nestled in the centrally located Buckhead area of town, underwent an extensive renovation, including floor plan changes in some of the main spaces, such as the kitchen, office, and locker area.
Morris, who was introduced to the clients by the project architect, Brad Heppner, says her personal design philosophy played a large role in creating a balanced and cohesive home. “I love clean spaces, and I like to focus on a mix of masculine and feminine,” she says. “This client did want a slightly more masculine feel, so I played with scale to help achieve that.” The effect is perhaps most apparent in the furniture selections and light fixtures, which opt for dramatic over dainty in numerous rooms.
Aside from scale, color is in abundance but not overwhelming. “The homeowner loves color but didn’t want it in your face, especially on the main floor,” Morris says. To achieve this balance in the entry hall and adjacent dining room, the designer used a range of purples from lavender to plum. The result is a space that reads as a neutral yet fits well in a home filled with pops of color throughout its footprint. A prime example is the eggplant-hued range that takes center stage in the predominantly white kitchen.
The main level’s muted undertones give way to bolder palettes upstairs, creating a more whimsical look in the three children’s bedrooms. Color combinations, including chocolate and orange, eggplant and sunny yellow, and emerald and ocean blue, define the rooms, giving each one an identity and personality all its own. Similarly, the lavender guest bedroom—which opens to a bunkroom with three twin beds—feels like a playful escape thanks to a striped paint treatment that extends to the ceiling. “The ceiling comes to a point, so it was quite the math equation to figure out the width of each stripe in order to make them appear all the same to the eye,” Morris says. “I love how cozy this room turned out.”
Additionally, a blend of textures brings a refined layer to the overall design, as seen in the foyer where a Phillip Jeffries wall covering gives warmth to the spacious entry hall. In the family room, wooden beams and a textured diamond rug are softened with a number of rich, luxurious fabrics, including velvet, which also appears in a number of other rooms to add an overall cohesiveness. Because the family has young children, many durable, easy-to-clean fabrics were used, especially in high-traffic areas and frequently used spaces. The breakfast nook—a favorite area for snacks and homework—features a leather bench and chairs that are covered in outdoor fabric to stand up to the test of little hands.
While these features give the home its comfortable feel, its personalization shines in the artwork that catches the eye at every turn. “My client loves art, and that was an important piece of our design,” the designer says. Many of the art selections were commissioned pieces created by local Georgia artists. “And since she is a former teacher, she is also very fond of structure and organization,” Morris says of the homeowner. “We incorporated those aspects into the home as well.” From the pantry, which features a designated cubby for every imaginable type of serving ware, to the playroom’s library, where books are grouped by topic while crayons and craft supplies are neatly stowed in glass canisters, everything has a place. “Because the client was very involved in the entire process, these personalized touches appear throughout the interiors,” says the designer. “The result is a house that really reflects this family.”
