Fun a decorating necessity for Midtown homebodies

You might not expect to find a tucked-away Midtown neighborhood that eyes the city from its high perch. And you surely wouldn’t expect to find, amid the more traditional bungalows, a white modern box of a home that looks like it dropped in from California.

Drive by at night, and you’d see a party inside: the majestic sparkle of a Da Vinci chandelier, a 24-inch crystal ball, illuminates one section; and a rotating array of LED lights bathe another, where a horse lamp (yes, a lampshade atop a life-size equine replica) peers out the front window.

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Sean Drakes/Special

Lee Bryan and Joe Keller’s white modern home stands out amid the more traditional bungalows in the neighborhood.

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Sean Drakes/Special

A life-size horse lamp peers out the front window to the neighbors’ enjoyment.

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The neighbors enjoy the props, says Lee Bryan, whose eponymously named Midtown firm, specializing in interior design and Italian kitchens, is a 10-minute drive away. The ultra-modern décor fits the structure of the house, designed by Mark Wilcox, owner and designer of CRE8, with input, of course, from Bryan and his life and business partner, Joe Keller.

Having spent his adult life in apartments and condos, 45-year-old Bryan “wanted to get out of communal living.” (Now that he has a home, he’s quite neighborly: “I’m always the one waving,” he says.)

Bryan stumbled on this neighborhood when taking a shortcut from Peachtree to the Westside “design district.” When he spotted a home for sale, Bryan had a contract in place within a week. It was the lot’s narrow incline that got him. A chunk of the home could be hidden in the back to avoid having it appear too big for the neighborhood.

Bryan and Keller razed the existing house for a new building that would embody their contemporary vision. Painted white outside and inside, the 3,300-square-foot home exudes a sense of openness.

Large, curtainless windows draw Atlanta into the great room. Even the steel stairs are enclosed in glass so as not to disturb a clean picture.

Speaking of picture, it’s all about television here. There are three screens in the master bathroom alone.

High-tech touches amp up the cool factor. The couple can use their iPhones to operate the TV; the TiVo runs on a wireless system. But the room most dedicated to TV watching is an upstairs den decorated with posters of 1980s-era movies like “Indiana Jones,” “Gremlins,” “Flashdance” and “Star Wars.” Bryan collected them when he worked in movie theaters during high school in Valdosta and in college in Athens. The same room houses Keller’s “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” figurines.

The home is about lounging and entertainment and, of course, fun.

“We’re not bar hoppers,” Bryan says. “We’re homebodies.”

Favorite TV show: At the moment, “Battlestar Galactica.”

Coolest designs:

• EcoSmart fireplaces, metal boxes fueled by alcohol.

• Wall decals of chandeliers in the dining room add humor and fun to the one suspended from the ceiling.

• The custom-made front door. The couple had it painted with an automotive finish by Atlanta Classic Cars’ body shop.

• The kitchen. Designed by the couple, their work with Pedini’s modular pieces inspired them to carry the Italian line.

Favorite aspect of the home: Bryan likes the “treehouse effect” of the back windows, which provide a view for watching squirrels and hawks. He also loves the neighborhood. Not only is it close to Buckhead and Midtown, but also it’s a friendly, diverse community where neighbors host parties each month during the summer.

Tips for good living: To determine a vision for your home, Bryan advises observing your surroundings. And create a scrapbook of the design styles you like from photos in magazines to find “a common thread.” But “don’t stress,” he says. “You make bad decisions when you stress.”