On separate occasions, Glenn Murer and J.T. Fields met with the previous owner at what became their Ansley Park home, both telling her they would buy it if the opportunity ever arose.
It did, but three people were interested, and another couple bought the home. When that couple decided they wanted to sell the house, they approached Murer and Fields. On a handshake, the owners, who knew Murer and Fields, sold them the home, giving them the key and alarm code before they closed on the house, which is on more than a half acre in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
“Both of us love old houses. We love the history,” Fields said. “We both have a good rule of thumb that we both love pre-World War II architecture where there’s counterweights in the windows and just a sense of proportion and there is a set of nostalgic materials.”
Beyond the more serious limestone and brick exterior, the home is filled with whimsical touches.
Snapshot
Residents: Glenn Murer, owner of Atlantel Business Communication, and J.T. Fields, owner of Mountain Fresh Grocery in Highlands, N.C. (he lives in Atlanta part-time).
Location: Ansley Park, Atlanta
Size: About 5,500 square feet, four bedrooms, three baths (including the main home and guest house)
Year built: 1928
Year bought: 2004
Builder: Beers Construction (later became Skansa)
Architect: Atlanta architectural firm Pringle and Smith
Design consultant: Interior designer John Oetgen
Architectural style: English romantic
Favorite architectural feature: Limestone entry, which is echoed in the library's limestone fireplace.
Interior design style: 1930s Hollywood style/French Art Deco. Almost all the furniture is from the 1860s to 1940s. Most of the furniture is from Europe, while other items, such as the white living room table, were bought at Scott Antique Markets in Atlanta.
Favorite interior design feature: The Macassar ebony chairs in the library and in the living room are among their favorite pieces, reflecting their interest in chunky wood furniture.
Favorite outdoor feature: The outdoor fireplace, made of stone, brick and limestone. A set of French doors from the dining room opens to the backyard, which has the fireplace and a circular patio. "It creates this cozy alcove," Fields said. "You're nestled in the city, and you're surrounded by trees."
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