Private Quarters: Room for music and more in Midtown Victorian

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Room for music and more in Midtown Victorian

Eclectic mix of original Victorian elements with modern conveniences.

An heirloom Victorian sofa, which Elliott Niespodziani acquired from her family, anchors the grand foyer, complete with the original fireplace. Elliott, a senior publicist for Adult Swim, and her husband Nicholas, have embraced their Atlanta home's Victorian roots, while adding their own eclectic touches throughout. Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service.

Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani's slate-blue Victorian home in Atlanta was built in 1892. The couple bought it in 2013. With the help of Nicholas' father, they have completed the porch with steps and railing, installed gutters and added a custom-built door. The French-inspired front garden has more than 1,600 plants and brick-lined walkways.

Hanging above the den's mid-century modern sofa from City Issue is a pair of screens that Elliott Niespodziani bought from a pop-up antique street sale in Brooklyn 15 years ago. Antiques are in just about every room, including the original chandelier in the den.

An heirloom Victorian sofa, which Elliott Niespodziani acquired from her family, anchors the grand foyer, complete with the original fireplace. Elliott, a senior publicist for Adult Swim, and her husband have embraced their Atlanta home's Victorian roots, while adding their own eclectic touches throughout.

A portrait of homeowner Elliott Niespodziani's great-grandmother and a portrait of husband Nicholas' ancestor Ali Pasha grace a comfortable corner in the den. The floor lamp is made of an antique rifle from Poplar Forest, which was Thomas Jefferson's summer home in Lynchburg, Va., where Elliott's father grew up.

Victorian charm meets modern convenience in Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani's Atlanta kitchen. A new stainless Verona range, Corian countertops and Ikea cupboards blend harmoniously with the tin ceiling and French doors restored with original hardware.

The challenges for renovating the kitchen in Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani's 120-year-old home were many. Neither the size nor the space was traditional. Nicholas' father, who helped with much of the renovation work, concluded that a steep staircase had to go. "That opened up the kitchen and enabled us to have a refrigerator that wasn't standing out in the middle of the room, " Nicholas says.

The dining room of this 1892 Victorian in the heart of Atlanta is a family affair. The homeowners, Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani, furnished the room with a table, chairs and sidebar that Elliott inherited from her great aunt, along with an antique bar from her mother. Nicholas' father carefully restored the original built-in china cabinet.

Light cornflower-colored walls are accentuated with punches of bright blues and silver in Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani's Atlanta dining room. The chandeliers were already in the house when the couple moved in three years ago. The fireplace, one of nine, is believed to be original to the 1892 Victorian home.

Singer and homeowner Nicholas Niespodziani rehearses during the day with Yacht Rock Revue, and in 2016 was recording a second record for band Indianapolis Jones in his renovated Atlanta home. The recording and rehearsal studio was converted from a bedroom.

Within his custom soundproofed recording and rehearsal studio, Yacht Rock Revue singer Nicholas Niespodziani houses his lifelong collection of instruments. They include a keytar, Moog synthesizer, 1960s model Wurlitzer electric teaching piano and 1958 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar.

In the stairwell, Elliott Niespodziani modified two candleholders, which she found at Scott Antique Market, into light fixtures.

A chandelier from RH fits right in with the Victorian elements of the 120-year-old home. It's one of the few chandeliers that are new in the home.

The original millwork in Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani's 1892 Victorian home is consistent with other homes on their street. In the guest bedroom, detailed woodwork is everywhere you look - from the window casings to the original fireplace.

An antique brass bed anchors the guest bedroom in Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani's 3,800-square foot Atlanta Victorian. The 120-year-old home was believed to be used as a boarding house in the mid-20th century. "This house has so much history," says Nicholas. "It's fun to think of all of the lives it has touched over the years."

Antique Japanese screens double as a headboard in the master bedroom. In front, homeowners Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani flanked their bed with new mirrored side tables from West Elm. In the opposite corner hangs an original black and white painting by Gina Niespodziani.

Not everything is Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani's 120-year-old home has a Victorian accent. This "Mad Men"-inspired chair and ottoman in the master bedroom was a Scott Antique Market find.

Retro 1960s lamps from Decades, an Atlanta antiques and vintage store, and a quirky Yoda alarm clock offset the antique Japanese screens behind them in Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani's master bedroom in Atlanta.

Most 120-year-old Victorian homes in Atlanta do not have a spacious master closet like the one Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani enjoy. The custom closet with pull-outs, lighting and a handcrafted dresser by Nicholas' father now resides in what had been the home's fifth bedroom.

Homeowners Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani renovated their 1892 Victorian home when they bought it in 2013. In the master bathroom, they built a large shower using tile from Floor & Decor in Atlanta.

Baby Emmylou Niespodziani beds down in this classic nursery with a few noteworthy twists. In addition to the inherited chalk-painted crib and changing table, Emmylou's musical parents have fitted her room with a 1960s Fender Rhodes piano - perfect for serenading their baby girl to sleep.

The 1960s Fender Rhodes piano in the corner of Emmylou Niespodziani's nursery is just right for the daughter of musician Nicholas Niespodziani, a member of Atlanta's Yacht Rock Revue and Indianapolis Jones. Custom draperies with P/Kaufmann fabric and a gray and white leopard-print rug from Myers Carpet provide fitting backup.

A screened-in porch provides a cool place for family and friends to eat and view the beautiful backyard in the heart of midtown Atlanta.

Nicholas and Elliott Niespodziani enjoy additional outdoor entertaining space in this private corner of the deck in back of their Victorian home in Atlanta.

Elliott and Nicholas Niespodziani's midtown Atlanta backyard is still a work in progress. The couple have already installed garden beds for herbs, vegetables and flowers. They will soon be adding new grass and a playhouse for daughter Emmylou.

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An heirloom Victorian sofa, which Elliott Niespodziani acquired from her family, anchors the grand foyer, complete with the original fireplace. Elliott, a senior publicist for Adult Swim, and her husband Nicholas, have embraced their Atlanta home's Victorian roots, while adding their own eclectic touches throughout. Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service.

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