A Picturesque Georgia Abode Reflects Its Rural Setting

Serenbe, located southwest of Atlanta, is a picturesque community known for its rolling hills, dense woodlands and slower pace reminiscent of yesteryear. It was the area’s agrarian beauty and history that inspired the nostalgic design of one couple’s new house. While it needed to be spacious enough to accommodate their growing family and visiting relatives, it was equally imperative for the abode to remain inviting rather than grandiose. The wife also emphasized the importance of a strong connection to the pastoral setting. “We did not want it to look like it had been plunked down on the ground,” she recounts. “We wanted a sense of permanence.” Luckily for the owners, they found a design team with a knack for making the new feel long-lived: designer Anna Booth along with husband-and-wife architectural designers Matthew and Lauren Russell.

Before the Russells began their design, they devised a fictional narrative that would guide it. “We always try to establish a story for our homes, and we like to tell it through our work,” Lauren says. The story they chose to tell here is one of an old stone barn which has been added to over generations. Constructed by builder John Bynum using traditional materials—oak, terra-cotta tile and stone with the earthy hues of Georgia red clay—the house was intentionally designed to be rambling and unpretentious, just as the clients had requested. “We made a commitment to low, wide proportions,” Matthew explains. “We wanted the house to settle into the landscape and have a quiet stature.” At the same time, an abundance of modern steel-and-glass windows and doors brought a freshness to the design.

An updated old-world feel also suffuses the interior, where many of the exterior materials were repeated. For example, the living room’s vaulted, oak-beamed ceiling and stone walls reinforce the impression of a historical barn but without the rustic discomfort. “The house was always meant to be warm and welcoming,” Booth recalls. A mix of inviting pieces furnish the room, including a terra-cotta-toned Persian rug that echoes the saturated hues the designer gravitated toward throughout the home. Pleasing-to-the-touch fabrics further enrich the space, such as velvet, linen, wool and the enticingly brown-sugar-shaded mohair that covers the sofa. In other words, “We used every fabric you can think of,” Booth notes. Adept at using time-honored pieces to soften the polish of new construction, the designer paired distinctive furniture with comfortable modern upholstery. “When you’re working with high-end antiques, fresh seating like this keeps the room from feeling stuffy,” she explains.

Booth is especially proud of the master craftsmanship evident at every turn, crediting Bynum and his expertise for successfully executing her designs, including all the millwork. “Everything was done with integrity,” she says, noting the kitchen’s white oak cabinetry which brings some warmth to the room’s stone floors and countertops. The primary suite has its own share of skillfully crafted finishes, from the bedroom ceiling’s plaster detailing to the bathroom shower’s honed marble tile, creatively applied in a pattern reminiscent of wood paneling. That spirit of originality extends to the home’s many art pieces, which Booth carefully curated to reflect the wife’s Palestinian heritage.

The outdoor spaces were also thoughtfully detailed. Taking his cues from the home’s composition, landscape architect Alec Michaelides says that he “decided to give the grounds a transitional feel, but with a rustic twist.” A combination of traditional stone walls and modern cast-concrete pavers—like those surrounding the swimming pool—sets the theme for the property, where he introduced plantings such as black-eyed Susans, hydrangea and viburnum. There are even a few surprises, notably a garden folly that the Russells designed in a charming English Cotswold style.

Even though it is impressively sized, the house is anything but intimidating, which is exactly what the wife hoped for. “It doesn’t feel overwhelming. It feels livable,” she enthuses while adding, “The design team nailed that sense of permanence.”