Julie and Jimmy Huff, owners of a distinctive contemporary Atlanta furniture store, have an array of design and decorating choices at their fingertips. But while their Buckhead homestead reflects the Huff Furniture showroom, it's a refined, contemporary take on a traditional home.

Built in 1988, their house covers 4,800 square feet, including five bedrooms and four bathrooms. The Huffs bought the home in 2003 and set about sculpting a more contemporary character.

Sean Drakes / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

Furniture entrepreneurs Julie and Jimmy Huff spend time with kids Jenna, Emily and Peyton in their favorite space in the house.

Sean Drakes / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

The bar is the brainchild of Jimmy Huff.

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The Huff family is part of the fabric of Atlanta. Julie and Jimmy Huff are natives who went to the same high school. Huff Furniture (www.hufffurniture.com) has been in Buckhead since it opened in 1957, and they say it is the oldest retail business in the area. Jimmy and Julie Huff, along with his father, Jim Huff, run the business and do design work for such high-end clients as Ne-Yo, Missy Elliot and former Atlanta Brave Brian Jordan.

"It's so different, and it doesn't appeal to everybody," Jimmy Huff said.

Describe your decorating style: "We love antiques," Julie Huff said jokingly. Seriously, though, their design process entailed Julie Huff trying to reign in her husband, whose taste is definitely contemporary. First, the interior of the home was painted a subtle gray that allows the vibrant furniture to dominate. About 99 percent of the furniture and accessories are from Huff Furniture.

"A lot of times I'll say it's just too Huff Furniture," Julie Huff says with a laugh. "We try to make it a little bit more homey than the showroom."

You'd think owning a furniture company would make designing a home a breeze.

"It's hard because you see so much and then six months later you see so much more," Julie Huff said.

Coolest feature: For Jimmy Huff, it's the bar.

"I like what we did with that," he said, referring to a recessed area with deco molding off the family room. The bar design was Jimmy Huff's brainchild. They added a stair-step effect and backlighting. They also installed metal laminate cabinets and granite counters.

Why this home? The couple looked for a year before they found their home.

"We walked through the doors and knew immediately because it just had the bones," Julie Huff said.

They bleached the wood floors and laid down a custom color with a hint of gray. The family moved in three months later.

Much of the Huffs' personal items are stored at their mother's home. "If it's something we really need, my mom's got it," Jimmy Huff said.

Past or future project: While Jimmy Huff's specialty is the inside, the landscaping in the front is spectacular. However, he notes that the backyard needs a little flourish. They are also considering adding an accent wall of color in their family room.

Tips for good living: "Drink a lot," Jimmy Huff said, gesturing toward his bar room. On a more serious note, Julie Huff added that they are all about family. The couple and their kids, Peyton, 11, Emily, 10, and Jenna, 3, have a regular family movie night. They sit down with home movies and popcorn and take a trip down memory lane. "Just getting as much of the quality time together ... is what feeds my soul," Jimmy Huff said.

Julie Huff added, "We go 90 miles an hour all the time. It's absolute nuts the pace we keep in the business, and we're protective of our time."

Describe your most cherished item: The Huff children made colorful paintings of hearts on canvas and gave it to Jimmy Huff for Father's Day. They are displayed in his favorite room — the bar.

Heart of the home: Several rooms beat in this home: The kitchen, family room and outdoor patio.

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