A collection of original artwork and transitional style freshened up a 121-year-old Victorian when a creative couple moved in.
Troy Farina and John Ishmael filled the white walls with their abstract art and fine art photography along with favorite pieces by local artists. The six-sided foyer ushers guests into their home art gallery.
“Because we are artists and have collected art, it’s just fun to let the art do the talking instead of the wall color,” Ishmael said. “The art looks really good against it, plus it lets us be more colorful in our furniture and upholstery.”
>> See a gallery of their home here <<
Snapshot
Residents: Troy Farina and John Ishmael. Farina is a fine art photographer; Ishmael owns Nandina Home & Design.
Location: Atlanta's West End neighborhood
Size: 4,400 square feet, six bedrooms, five baths
Year built/bought: 1896/2016
Architectural style: Queen Anne
Favorite architectural elements: Paneled walls, foyer with French doors
Interior design style: Transitional
Favorite interior design elements: Transitional can span from mid-century to clean-lined traditional, Ishmael said. They enjoy mixing interesting fabrics, modern elements and antiques for their transitional style in the home, which also has artistic work spaces for both of them. For example, they have an industrial-style crank table in the foyer, a dining table built of old heart of pine wood and a vintage contemporary coffee table in the formal sitting room.
Favorite piece of furniture: An antique carved wood chair in burnished orange leather. "I found the chair probably 15, 18 years ago and I had it covered in one fabric for a while but then I found this really pretty orange, orange leather," Ishmael said.
Favorite collections: Etchings, sculptures, paintings and photography by Paige Harvey, Jesse Cregar, Merritt Cates, Leslie Kneisel, Celeste Williams, Matthew Cox, Susan Easton Burns and Corinne Adams join the couple's own abstract works and fine art photography.
Favorite outdoor feature: The wraparound front porch, which has seating that includes a swing bed. The porch faces two streets from their corner lot in the historic Atlanta neighborhood. "It's just breezy and comfortable," Ishmael said.
Decor tips: Custom drapes make a room, and interesting art can hide a multitude of sins, they said.
Resources: Furniture from Nandina Home & Design, Lee Industries, Classic Home Furniture, Hickory Chair and Baker Furniture. Rugs from Jaipur Living and Design Materials.
