The formal dining room features a chandelier from Circa Lighting and drapery made of Schumacher fabric The wallpaper is Schumacher’s Aldwyn Damask in Robin’s Egg. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
The exterior features traditional elements of a Cape Cod-style home. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
Whitney Durham waved her magic design wand to turn an ’80s Cape Cod-style home from an untouchable antique into a thoughtfully curated and livable home for a family of six.
After 20 years of residing in Buckhead, a partner in one of Atlanta’s white-shoe firms and his wife, a writer, decided to move their family of six to the select neighborhood of North Valley in Milton. Following the couple to the new home were two dogs, four kids, an arsenal of family heirlooms and a very active lifestyle. When the home hunters stumbled upon a Cape Codstyle house seated atop a double lot of 5 acres, they moved to homeowner status. The property was accommodating to all, from the children to the dogs to the father who found appropriate flex space in the guest cottage. The search was over. However, the interior’s outdated fashion and excessive formality betrayed its 1985 roots.
The foyer features a good mix of antiques that complete the newly stained hardwood floors. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
Abstract painting by Elaine Burge paired with custom lampshades painted by artist Sally King Benedict. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
Soon, the homeowners tapped designer Whitney Durham for the project. Not only did her portfolio showcase a skill set of fusing contrasting aesthetics, but her social media highlighted her own family dynamic, one that mirrored the new homeowners and assured them that she would understand the living necessities of a young and vibrant family.
The 7,500-square-foot complete interior renovation was underway with a to-do list to bring the vision to life. Durham needed to infuse livability into the formal aesthetic, taking into account every nook and cranny, from coating the hardwood floors with a new stain to flipping the attic into an extra bedroom to transforming the ambiance with Circa Lighting and seating throughout the spaces. What made the designer selection even more ideal was Durham’s ability to seam together contemporary with a store of eclectic and traditional antiques, rugs and paintings, of which the family had plenty.
The kitchen features an elongated island for the family’s use, topped with marble countertops. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
To ensure that the makeover would shed its ’80s feel, “we eliminated internal columns that were separating the breakfast room and living room to give the home a more current and open floor plan. We also widened some of the room casings in the kitchen,” says Durham. “We lightened the exterior paint color a few shades and painted the shudders and updated all of the lighting throughout the house.”
The wet bar got a refresh with bright wallpaper. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
The living room features club chairs from The Ellenburg Chair Company paired with a Made Goods side table and lamps by Circa Lighting. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
Once a fresh look was coherent within the space, it became a matter of details and decor. In the living room, a custom limestone fireplace revamped the surround with the additional placements of a raffia-wrapped side table and abstract art by Elaine Burge. Inspired by the black and brass Viking range in the kitchen, a large hood and similarly shaded black and brass sconces contrast well with a marble backsplash. With sconces in place of island pendants there arose an opportunity to elongate the island for the family’s use and incorporate the same marble in the countertops. Eye-catching Schumacher prints, from Aldwyn Damask to the brand’s Bixi Dragon, cascade down the window drapery and walls in the dining room and pop in the powder room. Meanwhile, Persian and Turkish rugs dress the floors to hone a universal and comfortable tone. Durham then softened the family’s substantial rugs, antiques and family heirlooms with contemporary decisions. With a fresh coat of paint, the collection of abstract and traditional artworks would find their perfect home throughout the spaces, finishing the project with a timelessness and uniqueness intrinsic to the family and making it their own. “The home’s Cape Cod architectural style was filled with an abundance of beautiful family heirlooms, distinct treasures and an array of art my clients collected from their travels around the globe,” says Durham. “I personally love for a home to feel curated over time and filled with pieces that are a great balance of ‘high and low,’ ‘new and old.’”
The powder room features a statement-making wallpaper by Schumacher. Photographed by Lauren Chambers
Design Details
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Milton
INTERIOR DESIGN
Whitney Durham,
Whitney Durham Interiors
whitneydurham.com
resources
CIRCA LIGHTING
Keeping room ceiling fixtures, foyer interior and exterior lights, library shelving lights
circalighting.com
CLASSIC HOME
Upstairs hall sideboard cabinet, great room leather chairs
classichome.com
ELAINE BURGE
Living room art
elaineburge.com
THE ELLENBURG CHAIR COMPANY
Keeping room sofas, living room club chairs
ellenburgchair.com
MADE GOODS
Living room side table
madegoods.com
MYERS CARPET
Foyer custom stair runner, carpet
myerscarpetatlanta.com
SCHUMACHER
Dining room and powder bath wallpaper, dinning room drapery fabric
fschumacher.com
