Talyea Fowler and her husband, Robin,packed up a few last things from their serene, generously windowed condominium - the walls and ceilings lacquered light blue - in Atlanta's leafy Buckhead district. They pressed the down button one last time and descended 26 floors into a wildly new existence.
Situated off the entry hall, the ladies' lounge is the epitome of glamour. Custom sofa in a Pierre Frey velvet; chandelier, 1stdibs; walls and ceiling in Farrow & Ball's Fowler Pink; a collection of vintage artwork.
Waiting for them just four miles away was their restored 1934 Regency-style house, newly filled with snap, crackle, and pop by way of tiger-print velvet, pale-pink walls, and deep-lavender accents galore. The journey to the exuberant abode took a lot longer than an elevator trip, though.
The master bedroom's Ebanista bed is upholstered in a Holland & Sherry fabric; bedside tables, Julian Chichester; custom bench, Bradley; curtains in a Sahco fabric.
Two years earlier, the Fowlers had embarked on a thrill ride of a renovation when they purchased the house and set out to update it while preserving its remarkably intact original features: doors, moldings, fireplaces, wood floors, and even single-pane windows that still open via pulleys and weighted ropes.
A dressing room is bathed in pale pinks. The custom cabinetry has hardware from the Matthew Quinn Collection; chandelier, Circa Lighting.
The home's original architect surely would have approved: Georgia native Philip Trammell Shutze studied architecture at Columbia University in New York and the American Academy in Rome, then returned to author many fine classical-style homes and buildings around Atlanta in the 1920s and '30s.
In the master bath, the soaking tub is by Hydro Systems; side table, Global Views; chandelier, Circa Lighting; mantel, François & Co.
The Fowlers knew who to call to help restore their prize - the Atlanta-based interior designer Melanie Turner, who had not only designed two previous residences for them, including the sky-blue, sky-high condominium, but also lives in a Shutze house herself, a 16th-century Italian Baroque-style fantasy nicknamed the Pink Castle.
Framed by a verdant garden designed by Land Plus Associates, the pool pavilion is an elegant setting for outdoor entertaining. The sofa, covered in a Perennials fabric, the bench, and a set of dining chairs, slipcovered in a Sunbrella fabric, are all from Lee Industries; dining table, Elegant Earth; lantern, Circa Lighting.
Turner thrilled at the chance to revive and decorate rooms that she thinks are architecturally perfect. “Shutze's proportions are so good,” she says. “They're human-scale.”
Brass details elevate the all-white kitchen, which is in the home's new addition. Custom stools in white vinyl; Rohl sink with Waterworks fittings; hood and range, Officine Gullo; cabinetry hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection; pendants, Bobo Intriguing Objects.
For the Fowler house, she worked with Atlanta architect Yong Pak on the long list of upgrades, including a new kitchen, a pool pavilion, and terraces. A section of the home added in 2010 was refined with thicker doorjambs and plaster walls so that it feels connected to the original house. “It was just this big, vanilla box,” Turner says, “so we layered in a lot of details.”
The living room marries classical influences with contemporary flair. Sofa in a Scalamandré tiger-striped velvet, Hickory Chair; teal pillows in a Schumacher fabric with Samuel & Sons trim; slipper chair in a Stroheim fabric, Bernhardt; side table (right), Global Views; walls in Wimborne White, Farrow & Ball; artworks, Hendrik Kerstens (left) and Trine Sondergaard.
But here, the plot twists. Instead of going for a period piece of an interior, Turner tapped into the personalities of the young and energetic homeowners and zinged the rooms with their growing collection of contemporary art and unexpected pieces. The tiger-striped sofa in the formal living room, something Taylea had longed for after seeing one owned by Lee Radziwill, became the jumping-off point for the decidedly glamorous decor.
The powder room's hand-painted mural on paper is by Penshaw Hill; chandelier, Jiun Ho; sink and fittings, Waterworks.
A powder room was given a woodland mural in black and gold. A ladies' den was lacquered in a glowing peachy pink. Taylea got into the spirit, too, secretly switching out - with the help of her contractor - the wood top of the island in her dressing room for one of punchy pink onyx. She says Turner signed off: “She loved it right away.”
Lush textiles swathe the nursery. The curtains, bed canopies, Baby Braithwaite chair and ottoman, and Lee Industries armchair are all in C&C Milano fabrics; walls in Pink Ground, Farrow & Ball.
Today, the house is alive with color - a vibrant setting for an amiable family that includes the couple's one-year-old twin girls (who showed up just two weeks after the Fowlers moved in), along with Robin's seven-year-old daughter and a pair of prancing cockapoos. Nothing is precious here - and Taylea wouldn't have it any other way. “Everything can be touched and felt and sat on and slept in,” she says. “And that's what we really love.”
Amethyst accents give the formal dining room a fresh verve. Table and dining chairs, in a Schumacher velvet, Hickory Chair; custom sideboard, Bradley; chandelier, Dennis & Leen; lamps, Kathryn McCoy; wallcovering, de Gournay.
This article originally appeared in the September-October 2017 issue of VERANDA.
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