Designer Bill Musso has transformed homes around Atlanta, but it's his Mediterranean villa that transforms visitors with its rich colors and architectural details.

Alison Church/Special (ENLARGE)

Designer Bill Musso (right) and his partner, Bryan Cooke, sit in the den with their dog, Aaron, in their Mediterranean villa built in 1925.

Alison Church/Special (ENLARGE)

The view from the upstairs to the formal living room of the Druid Hills home.

RELATED LINKS • Photos: See more of this home • Previous Private Quarters • Home & Garden • ajchomefinder.com • 2007 Home Sales Report Step back in time Search our historic archives for stories on historic homes and more about the Atlanta environs from 1868 through 1939.

He and his partner, Bryan Cooke, bought the 1925 home four years ago, knowing it needed some TLC.

They even researched the builder, James Lawrence Turner. "It's fun to look back," at the builder's vision back in the '20s, said Cooke. "He talks about some of the same things we're talking about today ... such as sustainability."

An article from The Atlanta Constitution in 1925 said, "Mr. Turner, who believes that dwellings should be built not only 'upon a rock,' but just as strong and as enduring as the rock itself, has evolved a type of house that is unique and attractive."

The article refers to the home as one of "the famous Turner dwellings on University drive."

The story said Turner, his engineer and his architect made a special trip to the Mediterranean to study dwellings. He called Musso and Cooke's home "the Villa Mira Flores." The home once served as Turner's private home.

"It was my purpose," said Mr. Turner, "to give the man of moderate means a dwelling place that would stand throughout the years."

The newspaper reported that thousands of people flocked to see the Turner-built homes, which were open to the public.

The neighborhood is a highlight, Musso said. "It's quiet, it's private, and it's only a mile from (Cooke's) work," he said. Cooke works for Emory University as executive director of the Clifton Community Partnership. Musso's firm specializes in residential design.

Getting started

After purchasing the home in 2004, the couple embarked on a year-long renovation. They replaced 54 windows and 10 sets of French doors and made updates to the plumbing and wiring. They tore out the rose-colored carpet and shined up the parquet floors, which are now found throughout the home.

The backyard needed work, too. The previous owner left a neglected 55,000-gallon swimming pool — 20 feet wide by 40 feet long.

"The guy who built it wanted the biggest pool in DeKalb," Cooke said.

Since the pool was full of repair problems and not to their style, the men demolished it and installed a smaller pool.

"With this house being Mediterranean, it needed a water focus," Cooke said.

The men used architect Richard Stevens for their renovation. Stevens was also helpful in making sure the changes met historic preservation standards.

"A lot of people had different ideas about preserving it," Cooke said. "We used what they used in 1925. It's something we know will last another 80 years."

The landscaping is low-maintenance and perfect for entertaining, says Cooke, who loves gardening.

"Bill does the inside, and I do the outside," he said.

The lines of the house are reminiscent of a Roman villa. When Musso opens the front door, he can look straight through the back door into the garden.

The home is centered around a two-story atrium. Four upstairs bedrooms were converted into three bedrooms and a master bathroom.

The den, which used to be the dining room, flows into the butler's pantry. To give the den an old feel, Musso used distressed paneling and silk grasscloth wallpaper. He said the room was in terrible shape when they found the house. The room had been rented out, and at one point someone had built a fire pit in the center of the room.

Stretching design styles

Musso, who grew up in upstate New York, describes his style as "very clean lines, New Yorkie, natural colors." But their home presented a new challenge.

"The house is so big, it stretched my own personal style," Musso said.

He used more color in this home than he had in his previous houses. The home also had canvas murals mounted to the walls and framed in stucco. However, by the time Musso and Cooke took possession, all that was left were the empty frames.

"We're only the fourth owners. Every light fixture was stucco'd and painted white," Musso said with dismay.

In the atrium/living room, the floors are the original white-and-blue porcelain tile. "We have two cracked tiles. That's pretty good for a floor that's 85 years old," Musso said.

But Musso's most challenging design element was the special-order chandelier. He had a California company craft it from a picture taken in Verona, Italy. The 600-pound piece was a bear to install. After it was discovered the house had fire damage, the architect added engineered beams to support the massive light fixture.

The downstairs was also reconfigured to transform a full bath into a powder room and office. In the process, they removed interior access to the basement. The study now serves as Cooke's office.

Musso designed the powder room around a blue sink basin. He used Turkish limestone on the floor and a Venetian plaster treatment on the walls.

The couple had a trip planned to Italy before they bought the home. Since their vacation happened during the renovation, their photos are odd by vacation standards — filled with pictures of doorknobs and paint colors.

The dining room features an extra element, an 1840's day bed for Thanksgiving diners who need a rest.

"I wanted to do something fun in here," Musso said. The pumpkin color was given depth by using a striation technique. The silk draperies, which inspire attention, are by Nina Campbell.

The main guest room upstairs, done in cream and gold, is nicknamed "The Queen Room," because the couple's mothers stay there when they visit.

For the second guest room, Musso found antique twin beds at Scott Antique Market. In the master bedroom, he upholstered the walls with silk in gold and chocolate tones.

The master bath includes a mosaic medallion with mother of pearl and gold and silver leaf. The rest of the tile is marble and travertine.

HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The home offers 3,700 square feet of space. The pool house, which Musso uses as offices for his design firm, is 1,000 square feet.

• Musso and his business partner, Jenni Ling, have a business called Knob Appeal. They design and manufacture specialty door and cabinet knobs. The knobs are on display in several areas of the home.

• The home, built in 1925 by J.L. Turner, was an attraction in Druid Hills when the builder opened this and several other of homes to the public.