Southeastern Design Showhouse in a James Means house!

While in Atlanta I attended the last open day of the extremely popular Southeastern Showhouse which benefits the Atlanta History Center ( based at Swan House which I have blogged about HERE).

The showhouse benefits from being a private home in which the homeowners worked hand in hand with the selected designers in order to create a home for themselves unlike many showhouses which become disjointed rooms with no flow. This was possibly the best showhouse I've ever visited (and I've been to many!).

The original house was built in 1962 by architect James Means of reclaimed materials, making the house feel historic while offering the best of modern day conveniences. In similar fashion, architect Yong Pak with Pak Heydt & Associates worked with the homeowners in updating and expanding the Means house for 21st century living.

Landscape architect Richard Anderson was brought on to make the best of the truly breathtaking site.

But lets move inside, shall we? Above is the first floorplan which will help orient you.  The house is enormous so I'll only be showing a few of my favorite spaces. The original James Means house is seen in the lower portion of the floorplan.

Decorator and chair of the showhouse, Jackye Lanham, decorated the stairhall. The marble floor was original from James Means' design but was only installed during this renovation.

I loved the treatment of this hall which goes up to the attic level. Notice the black painted stringer and railing with white pickets and trim.

Up towards the attic level a pair of eagles mounted on gilded brackets anchor a dormer window.

The attic bunkroom featured interior windows which are so charming and help bring light into the stair.

The dining room (room 9 on the plan) located inside the original James Means house and decorated by Tammy Connor, features a large Chippendale printed grasscloth wallpaper and lovely woodwork.

Off the dining room is a wetbar perfect for parties, with an antiqued mirror backsplash and gorgeous zinc countertop.

The library decorated by Chad James (#3 on the plan) was a more modern, cozy but luxe retreat.  It featured enormous steel windows with views of the backyard though they were unfortunately covered with a grasscloth blind! I couldn't tell if this was part of the original house or the addition (which is a sign of a good reno!).

Speaking of steel windows (which are EVERYWHERE in Atlanta), this huge opening was about 9' wide and 13' tall opening off the family room (#21 on the plan) decorated by Phoebe Howard.

The large covered porch off the family room above was a great indoor/outdoor space.

The Man Cave in the basement was decorated by William Peace and featured reclaimed wood clad walls and an enormous kitchenette/bar. What a great movie watching space this is!

Loved the detail of this iron arrow into the wall near the entry -perfect for hanging coats.

The wine cellar by Randy Korando and Dan Belman was built with even more reclaimed lumber and ingenious metal pegs to hold bottles. This made the room feel much larger than the more traditional wood crates.

The master suite was a large part of the ground floor addition (rooms 4-6 on the plan). I loved the vestibule and master dressing rooms decorated by Anna Braund.  Great lighting by Visual Comfort also.

Between the vestibule and the dressing room was a lovely round window for more shared light.

I loved this treatment of the narrow hallway: a coved, uplit ceiling with antique mirror at one end and the bedroom doors at the other below a leaded glass transom.

The master suite also included a small office which was charmingly decorated by Margaret Kirkland. Loved this wallpaper!

The sunroom off the master bedroom, decorated by Tristan Harstan, was tented with fabric - the best room in the house!

Saving my favorite for last however, a small bedroom on the 2nd floor (#13 on the 2nd floorplan above) really stole the show.

Designer Sarah Bartholomew created a haven wrapped in a lovely blue and white fabric with red trim.

I loved the window seat which is a great spot to read (notice the tape trim on the sides and ceiling).

The red frames on the antique prints above the dresser really tied everything together. I could move right into this charming bedroom!

I so love visiting Atlanta. The entire city appreciates good design and fine living on a level that makes Washington look barbaric. This design house was packed on a daily basis and appreciated by all. I know I'll be making a visit to Atlanta next spring to see the new Southeastern Showhouse!

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Shopping Atlanta

One thing Atlanta is known for is furniture shopping. No trip to Atlanta is complete without visiting some of their numerous home stores. I think antique shopping is the local past time!

One of my first stops after a fun lunch with noted blogger The Blue Remembered Hills was to ADAC (the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center).

One of my favorite shops was definitely Ainsworth Noah which carries a selection of antiques along with new furniture and art.

 Loved this little side table made by Dessin Fournir, one of many brands they represent.

Every part of this showroom you want as a little vignette back in your own home! 

Another great shop was Holland & Co which has this lovely antique doorway leading into the showroom.

 And what better place to get an architectural accent such as an antique door and surround than at my favorite shop in the world, Architectural Accents (which I've blogged about previously HERE).

In addition to architectural salvaged pieces from Europe they also carry lots of new hardware lines -a one stop shop!

 Loved this stained glass chinoiserie scene - would be great in a bathroom for some privacy.

There is no shortage of antique (and reproduction) mantels and overmantels, each more beautiful than the last.

 This overmantel had a lovely golden chinoiserie scene above an antique French marble mantel.

My favorite was this 18th century limestone mantel from a house in France.  I would take this home in a heartbeat if I could!! Maybe after I win the lottery....

 This lovely oak mantel and overmantel would look great in a home library.

And there is no shortage of antique doors to take home to add a touch of France to your own maison. 

Probably the most anticipated part of my trip was a visit to Scotts, the monthly antique show where dealers from around the world come to sell AND shop.

 So many lovely things I wish I had room for!!

 Have you ever seen a chandelier built of antique French firemen helmets? Only at Scotts....

 This interesting beaux-arts clock appears right out of a hotel or palatial gilded age mansion.

 I couldn't decide whether these bronze urns were more funereal or just plain fabulous.

I was able to take home a souvenir however, this antique French dresser eventually found it's way back home to me from a dealer based in Texas. Scotts makes it easy with numerous shippers available at the front desk.  Atlanta is to antique shopping what Chicago is to pizza; HOME!

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Ansley Park, Atlanta

I spent this past weekend in Atlanta visiting friends (including blogger BlueRememberedHills who promises to start blogging again!) and stayed in Ansley Park.  Developed in the early 20th century (1905 to be exact) this was the first neighborhood in Atlanta to be built around cars featuring wide winding streets and relatively large lots.  Prior neighborhoods were more urban with townhouses and narrower streets for public streetcars. Atlanta obviously took notice as now the city is a sprawling suburban wasteland (oops, did I say that) requiring a car for the most small of errands.

Like many of the most interesting urban neighborhoods the area is mixed with large and small sized houses adjacent to low-rise apartment buildings. And no visit to Atlanta is complete without a few visits to some Philip T. Schutze designed buildings, the king of southern classicism, such as The Villa, seen here, and Swan House.

These well designed apartments prove you don't have to be rich to afford some great classicism in a lovely neighborhood!

I stayed with friends in the Neel Reid designed apartment building seen above originally named the Della-Manta apartments. The building is known primarily for its' association with author Margaret Mitchell who lived here from 1939 until her death in 1949. Tall ceilings and great floorplans make these classic apartments ideal for modern living.

The neighborhood is littered with one gorgeous old house after the other, a veritable architectural dictionary as each house differs from the next.

 Tudor Revivals stand neck and neck  to Colonials behind lush lawns.

However this historic district isn't static! It's in constant flux with new beautiful infill being designed by the likes of McAlpine architects in more modern style. With direct proximity to Midtown as well as city parks and golf courses this is a highly desirable neighborhood.

I especially loved this house by McAlpine which featured beautiful metal sash windows and doors which I saw all throughout the city. The mild climate is perfect for these windows which tend to be problematic further north. Hope you enjoyed this small tour of a great old neighborhood!

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