Couple’s home takes a walk on the wild side

In a brown and black ensemble tied together with a leopard-print skirt and a flash of copper booties, Caroline Russu blends in seamlessly with her Snellville home — glorified with animal prints against the backdrop of nature.

But elements of the wild are just the beginning of the art of camouflage in the “Caribbean-California casual” home she shares with her husband, Tim.

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Joey Ivansco/jivansco@ajc.com

Caroline and Tim Russu say they love to conceal. This can be seen in garage doorways that slide away into the ceiling and entire walls that were knocked out and resurrected.

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Joey Ivansco/jivansco@ajc.com

‘We feel like we are living in a big tree house!’ Caroline Russu says of their home that overlooks Norris Lake.

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The couple say they love to conceal. And their mystery handiwork is found throughout their four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath Norris Lake home — from garage doorways that slide away into the ceiling to entire walls knocked out and resurrected with barely a clue left behind.

“Whatever you do, you want to make it look like it was part of the original house” to avoid something looking like an “afterthought,” says Tim, 63, whose company Home Inspections & More offers residential and commercial inspections and remodeling consulting.

So when he decided to expand their bedroom closet, he knocked out the front wall of the house and replaced it, 5 feet out, covered with its original cedar siding. “You can’t tell,” he said.

In creating a home full of exotic prints and relics, it helps to be a former Delta Airlines employee. With nearly 30 years of working as a customer coordinator in Delta’s SkyMiles department, Caroline, 55, uses her travel benefits.

Among the couple’s favorite destinations is Capetown, South Africa. Souvenirs from those visits include an ostrich-egg chandelier and mahogany elephants. From a Kuwaiti sheep (a.k.a. flea) market, a wall-mounted rug adds interest to the master bedroom. And in the foyer, a ceremonial wedding bib from Dubai hangs in a shadow box, looking like an ornament in a museum.

But not everything comes from far-flung destinations.

Art from Pier 1 Imports and a mirror from T.J. Maxx adorn their closet. And jute floor cushions in the living area came from Walmart.

And then there’s decor of the homemade and offbeat variety.

A potter with a home studio overlooking the lake, Caroline has some of her ceramics displayed — along with her pop art. She frames heavily starched bras, which make great bridal gifts, she says. One of them, a black bra on a leopard-print fabric, reveals itself under a charcoal drawing of Marilyn Monroe. “This is Marilyn’s training bra,” Tim jokes.

Of course, all of this — from the artwork to the renovation — takes vision.

When they bought their 4,000-square-foot home in 1996, the kitchen counters were “Pepto-Bismol pink” and the walls were full of holes, Tim says. “You have to see the potential.”

For the Russus, the lake view made it worthwhile.

“We feel like we are living in a big tree house!” Caroline says in an e-mail.

Ingenious camouflage: In the kitchen, a cabinet serves as a hideaway trash chute. Three hinged bookcases serve as doorways. And in the master bathroom, a framed, hinged print conceals the medicine cabinet.

Tips for good living: “Even in these difficult economic times, we have so much to be grateful for,” Caroline says. Her advice: Reach out and stay connected with friends and neighbors. Have a cookout and swap the steak for hot dogs. And don’t forget to “enjoy nature,” she says. “Our dogs have taught us a lot about noticing the sights, sounds and smells in our yard, about being relaxed and about play.”

Decorating on a budget: Tim advises getting three quotes on any project as a good measure of comparison shopping.

And when shopping, check out estate sales, flea markets and discount stores, Caroline says. When traveling, you can find “one-of-a-kind items” at a local grocery or hardware store, she says.

Also, “accessorize with inexpensive things like live plants, pillows, books, framed photos. Create a warm mood with candles, fresh flowers and indirect lighting.” Caroline, who unearthed her exotic necklaces and hung them on a hallway wall, writes, “If you have something you treasure, make it part of your decorating. Display it on a mantel or put it in a shadow box and hang it on the wall! Don’t keep it out of sight in a closet.”