Contemporary condo a perfect fit

Shane and Julie Lord waited to purchase their first home until the market and prices worked in their favor. Julie, 39, a chiropractor who works part time doing therapeutic pilates for the Georgia Club near Athens, talked about their new condo in Gallery in Buckhead.

Q: How did you approach your home search?

A: We wanted a simple, city-like lifestyle. Anne Powers [with Beacham & Co.] had to be the most patient Realtor in the world. She literally worked with us for about two years.

Q: What style were you seeking?

A: Contemporary. We looked at a couple of contemporary houses in Cabbagetown and nothing was a good fit. We thought maybe we can do a small house, but the upkeep, the yard work — Shane and I both, we are just so not into that. We would rather lock the door on the weekend and go somewhere. We knew we liked Buckhead, the heart of the city. We wanted a modern condo on Peachtree Street.

Q: What contemporary details stood out at Gallery?

A: When you look at it from the outside, it's all glass. They usually have a lot of contemporary art inside. Part of what Shane and I wanted to pay for was atmosphere. Surrounding yourself with the great energy of beautiful art, every single day, I just open up the door when I come in our lobby and I'm like, "Ah, it's wonderful."

Q: How would you describe the simple lifestyle that condo living provides you?

A: We get to enjoy all the pleasures. We have a saline pool. We have a library that has free coffee, tea and a continental breakfast on the weekends. We have 24-7 concierge service. We have a small movie theater and media room that my son (8-year-old Koby) can take his friends down there and put in a DVD. There's a tennis court. There's an outdoor living room with a fireplace. You have all of these wonderful amenities, but you don't have to worry about the upkeep. Shane [an attorney with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan] knows a ton of attorneys who drive over an hour to work every day, then the commute out is the same thing. Even in bad traffic, it's 15 minutes instead of five.

Q: What did you like about the view?

A: The view is just spectacular. We have a view both ways of Buckhead and look out over St. Philip's Cathedral [from their floor-to-ceiling windows]. Usually when people come visit me, they sit there and stare. They say, "I'm sorry I'm ignoring you, but I'm just enjoying looking out your windows."

Q: What did you do to your unit to add contemporary touches?

A: I had some mid-century modern lights — glass globe bubble lights — over the bar. The lighting in both of the bedrooms is by Mitchell Gold. In our master bathroom, we did a very contemporary, dark chocolate brown, textured wallpaper. I traded out the faucet for a stainless steel waterfall faucet. Our wood round bar stools are by Design Within Reach. We have white leather mid-century modern Barcelona chairs by Mitchell Gold. We have stainless steel lighting by Ligne Roset.

At a glance

Shane and Julie Lord’s condo in Gallery has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and about 1,700 square feet of livable space. They purchased it in February.

Gallery Residences

Address: 2795 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30305

County: Fulton

Information: 404-961-6666, www.gallerybuckhead.com

Price range: $319,900-$750,000

Number of units: 203

Square footage: 1,364-2,052

Standard features: 10- to 11-foot ceilings, private balconies, walk-in closets, floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, granite countertops

Amenities: Fitness facility, pool, sun deck, tennis court, 24-hour concierge, furnished guest suites, business and conference room, library/lounge, clubroom with catering kitchen, theater room

Homeowners fees: About 31 cents per square foot

Developer: Coro Realty Advisors/Novare Group

Broker: Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors

Schools: Garden Hills Elementary, Sutton Middle, North Atlanta High

More on schools: schools.ajchomefinder.com

Getting there

Take Peachtree Road north to Buckhead. Gallery is on the right across from St. Philip’s Cathedral just before the light at Rumson Road.

Recent sales