Private Quarters: Druid Hills home pays homage to 'Miss Daisy'

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Druid Hills home pays homage to 'Miss Daisy'

When a fellow parent mentioned the house next door to her was for sale, Saliers was charmed by the Georgian Revival architecture, original molding and its history.

The homeowners purchased the quilt, with a pattern called "Carolina Lily," and used it to fill one of the chocolate living room walls. The sofa and the side tables are from Decatur's Trinity Mercantile & Design, while two existing chairs were recovered in a vibrant orange fabric. Text by Lori Johnston

The high ceilings and original moldings are features that the homeowners love about the house, and the built-in bookcases take full advantage of the height.

A stainless steel island provides additional prep and eating space in the kitchen, which the previous homeowners renovated. The cabinets continue to the side door, giving the family substantial storage and display space.

The previous owners worked with designer Vern Yip to redesign the original kitchen in the Druid Hills home. The simple cream cabinets draw the eye from the dark hardwood floors, which run throughout the main level.

The breakfast nook, with handy built-ins and recessed lighting, looks out onto the yard, maintained by Pengelly's Landscape & Garden.

A mini gallery of framed black and white architectural and building images is above the upholstered headboard in the master bedroom. The shades are rimmed with floral fabric that picks up the hues of the pillows.

The quilt collection continues in the master bedroom, where a stack of antique quilts are displayed on a bench.

Before Bill Levisay and Jennie Saliers bought the Druid Hills home in 2012, the master bathroom was renovated by the previous owners, who worked with interior designer Vern Yip. The updates included a frameless glass shower and separate tub, new vanities and lighting, and subway tile surround.

A small renovation by homeowners Bill Levisay and Jennie Saliers involved taking three feet of a bedroom to create a master bedroom closet. Home Forge Remodeling helped them with this storage solution.

The trim and molding look fantastic against the dark wood floors in the Druid Hills home. The stairway holds a gallery of the original blueprints for the home, which was built in 1923 and is on the 2015 Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens (druidhillstour.org) on May 1-3.

A fireplace is one of the extra features in teenager Bryson Levisay's bedroom. There's a music theme to the mantel, which also holds sports mementos.

A mini chandelier brings sparkle into daughter Marie Levisay's room, which has a iron bed from IKEA and bedding in a chevron pattern. It's one of four bedrooms in the Druid Hills home.

The dining room chandelier--above a table from Trinity Mercantile & Design in Decatur--is original to the 1923 home in Druid Hills. Chairs also are from Trinity, while the rug was passed down from homeowner Bill Levisay's mother.

In the new pool house, a round window mimics a key architectural element on the front of the main home.

Homeowner and consultant Bill Levisay's office is a light-filled space in the pool house. The decor includes an antique quilt made by his grandmother; the round window is similar to a window on the front of his Druid Hills home.

A kitchen in the pool house allows the homeowners to entertain guests - and provide a place to hang out when taking a break from the pool.

A pool and cabana give a resort-style quality to the backyard in Atlanta's historic Druid Hills neighborhood. The homeowners work with Pengelly's Landscape & Garden to enhance the pool's setting.

Homeowners Bill Levisay and Jennie Saliers in 2013 added the pool house, a multi-functional building that serves as the two-car garage, Bill's office and guest and hangout space. The pool house was designed to be in line with the architecture of homes in Druid Hills and was built by Rick Blanchard of Watershed Development in Decatur.

During or after swimming, kids and adults can take a seat at a bar ledge attached to the side of the pool house.

The light is lovely on the side porch, which is a favorite spot in Jennie Saliers' home. The winterized the porch in 2012, working with Bruce Meller of Home Forge Remodeling. The sofa side table with a marble top and the original casters belonged to Saliers' grandmother. The chairs are from Trinity Mercantile & Design in Decatur.

A round table serves as a spot for doing homework and checking emails on the side porch of the Druid Hills home.

Woodwork from the rest of the home is echoed in the powder room, which the previous owners updated when they worked with designer Vern Yip. "The powder room is darling," said homeowner Jennie Saliers. A collection of small plates and framed landscape make it an attractive space.

Bill Levisay and Jennie Saliers bought the Druid Hills home in 2012. Their house is on the 2015 Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens (druidhillstour.org), titled "History Happens Here," on May 1-3. Bill Levisay owns Levisay Consulting.

The Georgian Revival-style home, which has four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, was designed by former Atlanta architectural firm Ivey and Crook. The 3,500-square-foot home, which has a symmetrical, classical design, was built in 1923, and features such as the shutters are original.

The Georgian Revival-style brick home, boasting decorative crown molding over the front door, will be open to the public during the 2015 Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens (druidhillstour.org) on May 1-3. The home was built in 1923 and former residents included "Driving Miss Daisy" playwright Alfred Uhry.

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The homeowners purchased the quilt, with a pattern called "Carolina Lily," and used it to fill one of the chocolate living room walls. The sofa and the side tables are from Decatur's Trinity Mercantile & Design, while two existing chairs were recovered in a vibrant orange fabric. Text by Lori Johnston

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