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Colorful, Comfortable Home Refresh for Everyday Living
Designers help an Atlanta-area couple find their personal style with color, texture and lively wallpaper
With a toddler, another child on the way and plans to grow their family, this metro Atlanta couple traded their condo for a larger home. After interviewing several interior designers whose work they admired, they chose Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole to create a space that feels both family-friendly and reflective of their personalities.
The project was largely cosmetic, with more extensive changes to the kitchen and a full remodel of the primary bathroom. Lively wallpapers, intricate mosaic tiles and the wife’s favorite color, green, are prominent throughout the home. Designed for everyday living and entertaining, the updated home is well-suited for family life and hosting.
The project was largely cosmetic, with more extensive changes to the kitchen and a full remodel of the primary bathroom. Lively wallpapers, intricate mosaic tiles and the wife’s favorite color, green, are prominent throughout the home. Designed for everyday living and entertaining, the updated home is well-suited for family life and hosting.
The view from the foyer into the dining room foreshadows what’s to come in the rest of the home. “These clients love wallpaper and they were very open, placing a lot of trust in us,” Kandrac says. When a representative from Thibault visited the designers’ office with the latest wallpaper offerings, they immediately knew this pattern was the one. When presented with it, the homeowners wholeheartedly agreed.
White wainscoting keeps the pattern from overwhelming the room, while a white linen performance fabric on the dining chairs also allows the wallpaper to take center stage. The designers added flair to the chair backs with a colorful patterned fabric that complements the wallpaper. Ceiling coffers were an existing architectural feature, so they painted them blue to draw the eye upward.
Ceiling paint: Stargazer, Sherwin-Williams
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White wainscoting keeps the pattern from overwhelming the room, while a white linen performance fabric on the dining chairs also allows the wallpaper to take center stage. The designers added flair to the chair backs with a colorful patterned fabric that complements the wallpaper. Ceiling coffers were an existing architectural feature, so they painted them blue to draw the eye upward.
Ceiling paint: Stargazer, Sherwin-Williams
Here’s What Designers Want You to Have Ready When You Call
From the foyer, there’s a direct view of the living room’s bubble chandelier and an expansive outdoor vista. “Our clients designated this room for adults only,” Kandrac says. To the left is a butler’s pantry, with a bar for entertaining.
“The wife is a sommelier and they love to enjoy a glass of wine here,” Kandrac says. Having moved from a smaller condo, most of the furniture is new, though the designers incorporated select existing pieces, including two iconic Eames lounge chairs. To add warmth, they introduced a gracefully curved sofa and selected a burled wood coffee table with a glass top that protects the wood and is easy to clean.
Light fixture: Visual Comfort
“The wife is a sommelier and they love to enjoy a glass of wine here,” Kandrac says. Having moved from a smaller condo, most of the furniture is new, though the designers incorporated select existing pieces, including two iconic Eames lounge chairs. To add warmth, they introduced a gracefully curved sofa and selected a burled wood coffee table with a glass top that protects the wood and is easy to clean.
Light fixture: Visual Comfort
The designers extended the blue from the dining room coffers to the living room’s coffers, mantel and built-ins.
The butler’s pantry is both practical and visually appealing. Grasscloth covers the walls, and kaleidoscopic wallpaper brings interest to the ceiling. A geometric mosaic tile backsplash, mirrored by a faceted pendant light, adds a dynamic touch.
The room was already well-outfitted with cabinetry, a dishwasher, an ice maker and refrigerated drawers. The designers replaced the existing bar sink with a copper one.
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The room was already well-outfitted with cabinetry, a dishwasher, an ice maker and refrigerated drawers. The designers replaced the existing bar sink with a copper one.
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The kitchen, casual eat-in area and family room are all open to one another. One major change was replacing three windows on the right with glass doors that lead to an existing screened-in porch. Having a casual eat-in area where the whole family can enjoy meals together was important to the homeowners.
Across the room, the color palette for the great room began with these drapes. “They were the jumping-off point for everything,” Kandrac says. “It’s kind of a chinoiserie pattern with lots of greens, and it also has camel tones that play off the stone fireplace and the floors.”
Because the three spaces form one open great room, the designers carefully considered how the light fixtures would work together. The family room’s vaulted ceiling required a large-scale chandelier, so they chose a two-tiered fixture that would not block the TV. For the dining area, they chose a 47-inch chandelier that’s proportionate to the 60-inch-diameter table below. The two chandeliers differ in style, but their black-and-gold finishes tie them together.
Across the room, the color palette for the great room began with these drapes. “They were the jumping-off point for everything,” Kandrac says. “It’s kind of a chinoiserie pattern with lots of greens, and it also has camel tones that play off the stone fireplace and the floors.”
Because the three spaces form one open great room, the designers carefully considered how the light fixtures would work together. The family room’s vaulted ceiling required a large-scale chandelier, so they chose a two-tiered fixture that would not block the TV. For the dining area, they chose a 47-inch chandelier that’s proportionate to the 60-inch-diameter table below. The two chandeliers differ in style, but their black-and-gold finishes tie them together.
The couple liked their existing stone fireplace, so the designers enhanced it by painting the built-ins that flank it a deep warm beige that complements the stone surround. Color and comfort were priorities throughout the house, and the cushy sectional embodies both. The couple’s existing pair of mirrors reflects light and matches the scale of the fireplace and high ceilings.
Cabinetry paint: Balanced Beige, Sherwin-Willams
Cabinetry paint: Balanced Beige, Sherwin-Willams
The kitchen’s layout and storage worked well for the family so the updates were cosmetic. This included a new backsplash and countertops, painted dark cherry cabinets and island base, and new furniture. A linear lantern over the island coordinates with the other light fixtures in the great room, and its black and gold finishes tie everything together.
Cabinet paint: Natural Linen; island paint: Basque Green, both Sherwin-Williams
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Cabinet paint: Natural Linen; island paint: Basque Green, both Sherwin-Williams
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Green appears in the island base, the backsplash and the performance fabric on the counter stools. The designers used their clients’ existing tobacco baskets as art, adding natural texture to the white walls.
The backsplash is true zellige, a handmade ceramic tile from Morocco. “Zellige can be tricky because it is handmade,” Kandrac says. “These clients were fully aware of its imperfections and agreed that that’s the beauty of it.”
The backsplash is true zellige, a handmade ceramic tile from Morocco. “Zellige can be tricky because it is handmade,” Kandrac says. “These clients were fully aware of its imperfections and agreed that that’s the beauty of it.”
Off one side of the dining table was an expansive kitchen desk area. “Clients often want to get rid of these completely,” Kandrac says, “but this couple used it often and loved it.” The designers removed the upper cabinets that the clients didn’t need, creating space for a graphic mosaic tile and some display shelves.
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The primary bedroom is large, with a vaulted ceiling, and the homeowners wanted it to feel like two cozier rooms. To scale the space appropriately, the designers replaced two ceiling fans with oversized chandeliers. These fixtures, along with two matching area rugs, delineate the bedroom and sitting areas.
A collection of antique mirrors over the bed creates a cozier feel and balances the scale of the high ceiling. The homeowners already had the large-scale painting on the left, and the ample wall space provided the perfect place to hang it.
A collection of antique mirrors over the bed creates a cozier feel and balances the scale of the high ceiling. The homeowners already had the large-scale painting on the left, and the ample wall space provided the perfect place to hang it.
The sitting room already had the stone fireplace and the built-in cabinets that flank it, but the bar to the right is new. “They wanted it to be a very comfortable area with chaises,” Kandrac says. The built-ins and patterned accent pillows incorporate touches of green, carried through from the rest of the home.
Cabinetry paint: Rosemary, Sherwin-Williams
Cabinetry paint: Rosemary, Sherwin-Williams
The primary bathroom was the only space in the home taken down to the studs and reimagined. A funky geometric mosaic tile adds a playful yet sophisticated touch on the floor, while an organic wallpaper from Spoonflower brings green into the room.
The designers reworked an existing hallway to expand the walk-in closet, flanking the opening with two new arched alcoves for the maple vanities. The geometric mirrors and sconces contrast nicely with the organic shapes in the wallpaper.
The couple’s home now reflects their personalities and feels comfortable and functional for their growing family. There’s plenty of space for both family time and entertaining, along with areas where the couple can unwind and catch up after the kids are in bed.
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The couple’s home now reflects their personalities and feels comfortable and functional for their growing family. There’s plenty of space for both family time and entertaining, along with areas where the couple can unwind and catch up after the kids are in bed.
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Browse millions of photos for ideas
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their growing family
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Size: Seven bedrooms, 7½ bathrooms
Designer: Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs
Contractor: Weatherby Renovations
As you enter, a welcoming foyer is anchored by a classic gray-and-white marble checkerboard floor. Crisp white millwork lines the walls, while a long contemporary chandelier suits the two-story foyer’s tall proportions.
In the common areas, the walls are painted Shoji White, with trim and ceilings in Pure White, both by Sherwin-Williams.
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