Making the transition to high-rise living doesn’t always mean sacrificing graciously scaled spaces and a free-flowing floor plan. For an Atlanta couple trading their traditional residence for a cool Buckhead condominium, merging two side-by-side apartments was key to achieving their luxuriously spacious aerie high above the city streets.
By most definitions, the two units had opposite design styles. The first apartment already suited the couple’s modern tastes thanks to its museum-white walls ideal for their art collection, an open layout and a striking wood-and-glass staircase. The neighboring condo, by contrast, was laden with old-world Italianate finishes that felt at odds with the pair’s aesthetic preferences. Fortunately, designer Barbara Westbrook and residential designer Derek Hopkins were undeterred by this disparity.
Liaising early in the process, Hopkins and Westbrook set to work fusing the two spaces—a delicate exercise requiring invaluable input from general contractor Jim Hixon, whose prior work in the building had endowed him with extensive knowledge of its complex infrastructure. “Jim knew what we could and couldn’t do,” Hopkins recounts. “And that cut our ‘what if ’ time to a minimum.” Because the couple wished to live exclusively on a single level, they kept the modern unit’s existing first-floor layout largely intact—opting to relegate guest quarters to the second floor—but increased its size. The extra square footage was captured from the more traditional residence, making way for a generously scaled new den and primary suite.
Home Details
Architecture:
Derek Hopkins, Harrison Design
Interior Design:
Barbara Westbrook, Westbrook Interiors
Home Builder:
Jim Hixon, Hixon Homes Inc.
Styling:
Eleanor Roper
The entry and living room are united by white oak flooring refreshed using an ultra-dark stain. Other ebonized details include the bar niche general contractor Jim Hixon concealed behind a blackened folding panel, as well as the darkened walnut treads of the glass staircase.
Westbrook integrated polished-nickel Jonathan Browning Studios sconces and a Holland & Sherry mohair rug to contrast the entryway paneling, which was darkened for dramatic effect. A Todd Murphy sculpture, Tony Hernandez painting and Formations vessels from Jerry Pair enliven the space.
Cool metal finishes lend sleekness to the living room, particularly the set of polished nickel reading lamps by Visual Comfort & Co. and an oak-and-stainless steel console by Jiun Ho. A lacquered end table and vessels by Michaël Verheyden hew to the home’s black-and-white palette.
To balance the living room, designer Barbara Westbrook introduced sculptural furnishings that can visually hold their own, such as the Caste curve-back lounge chair and a pair of armless Liaigre chairs, both from R Hughes. The highback midcentury-style chairs are by Coup Studio.
Three Herbert Creecy paintings, purchased at Johnson Lowe Gallery, are a highlight of the living room. A black Billy Baldwin Studio cocktail table offsets the champagne-colored Dmitriy & Co sofa and a bamboo silk rug by Eve and Staron Studio.
A Post-Impressionist painting warms the dining room. Gregorius Pineo chairs from Jerry Pair mingle with a sculptural Ochre chandelier, Formations candlesticks and a bamboo silk Eve and Staron Studio rug.
The kitchen showcases Thassos marble from Marmi Natural Stone on the island, accompanied by Powell & Bonnell stools. A custom banquette wearing Fox Linton wool from Jim Thompson joins the bespoke Skylar Morgan table.
The den channels a more relaxed aura courtesy of a textured ivory sectional designed by Westbrook. Other furnishings include a lacquer-and-iron Liaigre side table and a pair of Gregorius Pineo wing chairs. The atmospheric painting is by Todd Murphy.
Westbrook continued the use of champagne tones in the primary bedroom, adorning the bed with velvet from Jim Thompson and an Ann Gish coverlet. Both the Jean de Merry bedside chests and curved Natasha Baradaran bench are from R Hughes.
While a few key elements, such as the sculptural staircase, recessed baseboards and pure white walls, were retained, other finishes were modified to achieve a high-contrast effect. For example, all of the unit’s existing wood surfaces, including its Brazilian cherry floors and stair treads, plus the foyer’s walnut paneling, were stained an almost ebony shade to punctuate the otherwise all-white environment.
The designers’ edited approach extended to reducing architectural excess—whether removing recessed shelf niches and built-in bookcases or cleaning up the profile of the double-sided fireplace. The minimalist statement becomes strongest in the kitchen, where Westbrook’s vision manifested as a white-on-white space with sleek cabinetry and a back-painted glass backsplash.
Such choices underscored Westbrook’s monochromatic approach. Working alongside project designer Amanda Leibson, she executed her clear vision of an overall black-and-white palette inspired by the wife’s wardrobe. “She wanted the home to be very crisp and spare, with only occasional punches of color,” Westbrook recalls. Case in point: the touches of champagne animating the living room seating group. “It’s a tough shade to get right, because it can go peachy, but it’s such an elegant color,” the designer notes.
Because her clients brought very little furniture with them, choosing to concentrate on their art collection instead, Westbrook had the opportunity to select new furnishings with the sleek new interior landscape in mind. “When a home is pared down to this degree, each piece of furniture becomes sculpture; the forms themselves need to be beautiful,” the designer explains. The shapeliest pieces reside in the spacious living room, where the tailored sofa, curvaceous upholstered chairs and a combination of angular and rounded tables forms a striking tableau to complement a trio of Herbert Creecy paintings.
Westbrook was equally attentive to the profiles of the dining room furniture, which consist of a streamlined glass table from the clients’ former residence, slim chairs and a dynamic light fixture that acts as a work of art itself. As understated as this and other spaces read, they still possess a warmth sometimes missing in minimalist interiors. Contributing to this effect is the couple’s cherished collection of fine oil paintings, many of them featuring traditional gilt frames.
A Post-Impressionist painting warms the dining room. Gregorius Pineo chairs from Jerry Pair mingle with a sculptural Ochre chandelier, Formations candlesticks and a bamboo silk Eve and Staron Studio rug.
Moving beyond the public areas, the home’s private living spaces proffer a softer interpretation of the black-and-white scheme. “I like the idea of taking colors and exploring their different shades,” shares Westbrook, who selected fabrics in cream, taupe and even a touch of red for the den to harmonize with its focal point, a powerful painting by the late Todd Murphy.
In the primary bedroom, champagne tones reappear on upholstery, softening the sea of the pure white walls. Yet the en suite bathroom — with its bold Calacatta Michelangelo marble, dark cabinetry and blackened-steel doors—offers the eye a high-contrast reprieve.
Although thoroughly modern, the home’s clean aesthetic and striking monochrome color scheme are also indisputably timeless. As Westbrook puts it: “Years from now, you could walk into this home and not know when it was done. It will still look good.”
Westbrook continued the use of champagne tones in the primary bedroom, adorning the bed with velvet from Jim Thompson and an Ann Gish coverlet. Both the Jean de Merry bedside chests and curved Natasha Baradaran bench are from R Hughes.