Retreat fit for a princess

Kimberly Holland’s home is a girlish retreat that honors her family and her spirit.

Holland, a sports agent, lives in a townhome in the middle of Buckhead, convenient to restaurants and shops. Yet when Holland is lounging in her master sitting room, the hubbub is minimal.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Kimberly Holland has been in her 3,400-square-foot townhome since 2005. And she says she’s staying put – until her ‘knight in shining armor’ takes her away.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Kimberly Holland spends a lot of time in her sitting area. ‘It’s very quiet,’ she said. ‘I reflect a lot from this room. It’s very tranquil, soft, very feminine.’

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“People have this notion that living in Buckhead is crazy, but I love it here,” she said.

Holland and her neighbors often invite one another over for brunch and other gatherings.

“I won’t leave here until my knight in shining armor comes and takes me away,” she said.

Holland’s townhome has three bedrooms, 3½ baths and spans about 3,400 square feet. She also has what she calls her “country house” in Powder Springs but said she needed the Buckhead address to amp up her social life. Her job requires extensive travel; she represents track and field athletes, many of whom competed in the Beijing Olympics.

“I’ve been here since 2005; I’m a homebody. You can’t change who you are,” she said laughing.

Heart of the home: Holland enjoys her spacious master bedroom and spends a lot of time in her sitting area. “It’s very quiet,” she said. “I reflect a lot from this room. It’s very tranquil, soft, very feminine.”

Past project: Decorating Holland’s bare townhome occupied her time for months. Holland’s sister, Christina Sauls, served as her impromptu decorator. “Every single day when I came home from Europe we were in the stores,” she said. “It was a project.”

Decorating style: Her palette is mostly neutral with a few color pops.

“I’m not really a color person,” Holland said. Cream is her signature color, most evidenced by her princess suite. “I got to do the room the way I wanted,” said Holland, who designed the princess-like bedskirt flounces.

The room includes Louis XV-style dressers and furnishings as well as dramatic draperies and sheers that divide the sleeping quarters from the sitting area. “This is what I envisioned before I moved in. The princess theme is soft and elegant,” she said.

Holland tried to put more color in the room, but it didn’t suit her. “You can’t be who you’re not,” she said laughing.

The formal living room is one of Holland’s most cherished rooms. She calls it her “grandmother’s parlor” because it includes her late grandmother’s furniture. She feels her grandmother’s spirit when she sits in the room. “I really tried to build upon the pieces she gave me — just saying that gets me emotional,” Holland said.

The room includes two wing chairs and a marble coffee table about 80 years old. “It still has rough spots. I left it that way,” she noted.

Coolest feature: Holland points to her “Hall of Fame” wall that includes photos of her with Oprah Winfrey, Andrew Young, her athletes and Sidney Poitier. “It allows me to recall where I’ve been and where I’m headed,” she said.

Most cherished item: Her grandmother’s furniture. “I feel her presence,” Holland said of her grandmother, who told her she could be whatever she wanted to be.

Tips for good living

• Eat well and have a good workout regimen.

• Surround yourself with good friends and family

• Learn from athletes and their respect for their craft.

“To see the struggle before the stage — people would have newfound respect for what they do,” she said. “In order to be the best at what you do, it requires discipline and tenacity and faith to endure and be No. 1.”