Private Quarters: Dawn and Tim Valdez

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: A photo tour of Dawn and Tim Valdez's home in Atlanta

"My dad always tells me that I should have been a teenager growing up in the '60s instead of the '80s. He thinks I would have loved it," Dawn Valdez (left) says. She and her husband, Tim (right), renovated the home, bringing in their own flair that included adding this tiki bar in the basement.

The home's flat, low-pitched roof made of tar and gravel is among Dawn Valdez's favorite architectural features. "There [are] a lot of horizontal lines, which I really like," Dawn says. "It just seemed so simple yet classic. It never goes out of style, which is what I love about it." She also was glad to see that the original tongue and groove wood ceilings had not been painted.

The fenced courtyard, which the couple added as a new entrance to the house, is inspired by the style of Joseph Eichler's homes in California.

The big tiki in the patio area came from swankpalmsprings.com. Dawn and Tim Valdez visit Palm Springs yearly.

The original tongue and groove wood ceilings give the home a natural feel.

A contemporary pendant light -- a globe with stars -- accents the dining area.

The kitchen changes included taking out a wall and adding a peninsula, redoing the cabinet doors, updating the hardware and installing new black quartz countertops and appliances.

Dawn's two favorite colors are orange and blue, used in the master bedroom's color palette.

Tim Valdez has always loved all things tiki. A huge fan of Trader Vic's at the Atlanta Hilton, he collects vintage Trader Vic's items.

Tim collects tiki-themed ceramics (such as decanters, mugs and vintage Trader Vic's items) as well as tiki-themed artwork.

1/10

"My dad always tells me that I should have been a teenager growing up in the '60s instead of the '80s. He thinks I would have loved it," Dawn Valdez (left) says. She and her husband, Tim (right), renovated the home, bringing in their own flair that included adding this tiki bar in the basement.

Today's Gallery Headlines

PHOTOS: An early look at CNN Center's redevelopment in downtown Atlanta

PHOTOS: Wayfair opens first Atlanta store

PHOTOS: Hawks defeat Celtics in key East battle

People march in Bishop Park in Athens on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Protesters gathered in 10 different locations around Georgia’s Congressional District 10, leading up to a “Democracy Fair” at Bishop Park as part of a nationwide day of “No Kings” demonstrations. Organizers estimate that a few thousand people participated, many of them first-time protesters. (C.J. Bartunek for the AJC)

Alerts

PHOTOS: An early look at CNN Center's redevelopment in downtown Atlanta

PHOTOS: Wayfair opens first Atlanta store

PHOTOS: Hawks defeat Celtics in key East battle

PHOTOS: 'No Kings' rally at Bishop Park in Athens, Ga.