But emotion dictated whether each room was dark and moody or bright and airy.
He wanted a whole new look; she wasn’t so sure. Melanie Turner’s compromise: A fresh take on tradition that includes all of this Atlanta family’s most treasured things.
When walking through the front door, guests were met with a dated tile floor, dark trim, and beige walls.
Turner replaced the floor in the entry with a diamond-patterned design that is more in keeping with the contemporary home’s Georgian style. Marble tile, Ann Sacks. The walls are painted in Shoji White by Sherwin-Williams.
"The family uses this powder room daily, so we had to make it fun!” Turner says. Kohler fixtures hang from the wall to save space, and the walls are sheathed in Schumacher’s iconic Chiang Mai Dragon wallpaper. The mirror is by Made Goods. Sink, Bates and Bates. The door is upholstered in a faux leather from Gulf Fabrics.
Although loved by the homeowners, the red walls were the first to go. To modernize the space, Turner painted the walls a crisp white.
"Whether a room is dark or bright depends on what emotion I’m trying to evoke in a space," says Turner. A pair of Nancy Corzine chandeliers gives visual balance to the living room’s tall ceilings. The curtains, in a Sahco fabric, are edged in a Cowtan & Tout trim. Armchairs, Hickory Chair.
To accommodate the homeowners’ large collection of art, Turner created a salon-style wall in the living room. The sofa, the clients’ own, was reupholstered in a Schumacher fabric. The Hickory Chair side chair is in Scalamandré’s Metropolis velvet, and the gilt bronze coffee table is by Avrett.
The kitchen — while spacious — was cluttered and dark. Turner transformed the kitchen into a bright, family-friendly focal point.
The home’s blue theme carries over to the kitchen island’s cabinets, which are painted in Midnight Blue by Benjamin Moore. "Color links one room to the next, but it’s important not to be too matchy. There are variations on blue throughout,” says Turner. Barstools, Hickory Chair. Fixtures, Rohl. The granite backsplash was custom designed in a fanciful curve to offset the grid of the room’s cabinetry. Lanterns, Currey & Company. The wall cabinetry and walls are in Aesthetic White by Sherwin-Williams.
The study is “a contrast of black and ivory,” says Turner, who wrapped the room in a black grass cloth by Roger Arlington. The sofa, in a Schumacher fabric, and coffee table are both by Hickory Chair. Stool, Bernhardt. The curtains are in a Holland & Sherry fabric. Mantel, François & Co.
A desk by Julian Chichester and a Lee Industries chair pop against dark walls in the study. Lamps, Vaughan. Artwork, George Williams.
Previously, the dining room was a mishmash of contrasting patterns and textures.
In the dining room, Turner lacquered the walls in Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue. The curtains are in a Kravet velvet, and the chandelier by Dennis & Leen sparkles, especially at night. Chairs, Hickory Chair. The 2014 artwork, Infanta Margarita, is by Mario Soria.
In the den, new paneling in limed oak “walks that line between fresh and traditional,” Turner says. The Bernhardt sectional is upholstered in a Kravet cotton velvet. The Hickory Chair wing chair is in a Holland & Sherry fabric. Table and floor lamps, Thomas O’Brien for Circa Lighting.
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This story originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of House Beautiful.
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