The Bones are Good...

Bryce and Barbie Bregen are new to Atlanta. Consequently, fate landed them here. Barbie’s brother and sister-in-law had lived here for quite some time, but after visiting, Bryce wanted to stay away from any city whose streets turn into a parking lot after 5:00 pm every day. After meeting in Phoenix through work, they found a home in the palm tree freckled city. Then, Bryce's job led them to Atlanta, and here they are.

For months, they would spend two hours every Saturday scouring the city for the perfect home, but nothing reached out to them. Then, they stumbled upon this home. They put in a bid and were unpleasantly surprised when they’re realtor, Kelly Allan, dropped a bomb of bad news and told them, that they didn’t get the house. Crushed, they continued their Saturday ritual. Then, on New Year’s Eve, they got the call. The buyer was considering them for the home, and the rest is history.

To call this home, a challenge, would be an understatement. The builder played off of a Tuscan old style theme, with a dark pallet that closed the rooms in and felt depressing. There was faux limestone wallpaper, faux olive oil jars all over the kitchen, dark wood cabinets, heavy iron chandeliers and bulky furniture. 

In the dining room, there was a wall of mirrors that we later tore down. But while the surface of the home put off a dark, dated, and depressing vibe, the bones were good.

Bryce and Barbie saw through to the core of the home. While they knew there was work to be done, it was the outdoor space that stole their souls. The pool area even had a palm tree that brought their minds back to Phoenix and provided an element of irony that further solidified their beliefs that this was the home for them.

When they hired us, they wanted their home to echo the design elements explored in the movies Something’s Gotta Give and The Holiday. 

Photograph from Architectural Digest of the Something's Gotta Give set 

According to the fantastic blog post on the blog Hooked on Houses, both of these films were written by the screenwriter, Nancy Meyers, and while she has a knack for painting a picture of the homes she envisions, it is always up to us, as designers, to write the visions of our clients into sense.

Photograph of the home in The Holiday

Bryce and Barbie are a refreshing twosome. They are engaging and fun to be around. We distinguish people based on the way we see their homes as a reflection of their individuality. To us, Brice and Barbie have a very dressed up J. Crew feel with a pinch of transitional Tommy Bahama and a side of Trina Turk. Quite a contrast from the overcast tone that this home initially held.

Pallet of color and ideas. We like to lay everything out so we can step back and look at

Our plan of attack was a room by room transformation. First, we painted the whole house from soup to nuts. (WHAT COLOR) 

There's no such thing as "just white."

There was a bar area in the middle of the kitchen that made everything look cramped, and we took that out. We got rid of the 1970s glass cabinets. 

We’re going to put custom scale furniture throughout the house. So many people buy the most beautiful pieces of furniture for their homes, but if the furniture doesn't fit, it won’t work. Think of it as trying to fit into a pair of size 2 blue jeans when you usually wear a 4. It doesn't matter how fantastic the pair of jeans are, they won’t look right. 

Sketch of the living room lay out

Stay tuned while we transform this house in their home. We want it to be as light and inviting as the homeowners themselves. When we’re done, we’ll show you the finished product. 

XXLG and friends

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Article by: Laura Green & Lindley Knight  (@lindleyknight)