Private Quarters: Vintage character in Virginia-Highland redo

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Vintage character in Virginia-Highland redo

3,500 square feet, five bedrooms, four baths Modern Craftsman bungalow built in 1930

"From the original footprint of the house, I immediately fell in love with the sitting room right off the front door, " says homeowner Jo Torrijos, who bought her 1930 Virginia-Highland bungalow in 2008 and renovated in 2013. "I was drawn to the classic brick fireplace and original cabinetry flanking it." Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service

Jo Torrijos built an 11-foot extension with vaulted ceilings and lots of windows to include a great room at the back of her home. She created a comfortable entertainment space with a leather sofa from RH, a floor lamp from Decatur Estate & Wayback Antiques, a coffee table from West Elm and an entertainment center she painted herself. The walls are painted in Sherwin-Williams' Comfort Gray.

A peninsula, anchored with bright yellow counter stools from Mod Made, provides prep space and room for conversation in Jo Torrijos' renovated kitchen. Lamps on the counters from Target, a light fixture from Lowe's and a vintage shelf on the far wall from Urban Cottage in Atlanta add a cozy touch.

Walls painted in Oyster Bay by Sherwin-Williams showcase light gray cupboards, painted in Benjamin Moore's Gray Owl, in this Virginia-Highland kitchen renovation. Black Anubis Silestone counters and a honed marble subway tile backsplash were installed to create a timeless look. Homeowner Jo Torrijos loves the Sub-Zero refrigerator with a chalkboard front that she painted and the large 36-inch Wolf gas range and vent hood.

Relocating a laundry room and linen closet opened up space to create a coffee bar with custom shelving for dry goods in Jo Torrijos' home. A Craftsman light from Quoizel Lighting illuminates the area across from the downstairs butler's pantry, and stools from Crate and Barrel give Torrijos and her mother Emma a place to enjoy a morning cup of joe.

During recent renovations to her 1930 bungalow, homeowner Jo Torrijos bumped the back of the house out by an additional 11 feet to create a great room with a built-in dining banquette. Torrijos designed the banquette around the slim cherry dining table from Room & Board. She added thrift store chairs, which she refurbished, and a light fixture from Lighting New York to complete the space.

As a stylist and furniture painter, homeowner Jo Torrijos does not shy away from color. In the guest room, she chose Sherwin-Williams' Lively Yellow to brighten the walls, and added a colorful headboard from Skyline Furniture, thrift store nightstands that she repainted and lamps from Pottery Barn

An old ladder serves a new functional and decorative purpose by displaying a bright collection of scarves.

In the bright piano room, painted in Bamboo Leaf by Behr, Jo Torrijos offsets vintage chairs from a Baptist church with new curtains from West Elm, a Pottery Barn lamp and a table from Crate and Barrel.

The Virginia-Highland home's entryway bursts with color and collections, including books and artwork in the built-in bookshelves.

While a big fan of vintage pieces, Jo Torrijos fell in love with the bed and nightstands she found for her master bedroom at RH. She installed sconces from Pottery Barn above the bed for extra lighting. The brass lamps from West Elm on the nightstands inject a touch of Torrijos' mid-century modern style.

An attic master suite addition allowed Jo Torrijos to create a spacious, light-filled master bath in her 1930 Craftsman bungalow. She painted the walls in Sherwin-Williams' Sea Salt and installed White North Silestone counters atop Thomasville cabinetry.

The bathrooms in the rest of the house are fairly small, as is customary in bungalows, so homeowner Jo Torrijos wanted to remove the cramped feeling from her master bathroom. "I allowed for both a walk-in shower and a separate clawfoot tub with a skylight above - definitely a personal favorite, " she said.

An oval desk from American Period Furniture in Atlanta centers the home office in the Virginia-Highland home Jo Torrijos shares with her mother Emma. The light-filled room is painted in Sherwin-Williams' Gateway Gray, and features curtains from Ikea and a wingback chair Torrijos found on Craigslist.

By trade, homeowner Jo Torrijos is a stylist and furniture painter. Proving it's difficult to leave work behind, she found a bookcase at a yard sale and repainted the furniture a medium gray for her home office in Virginia-Highland.

Walls painted Sherwin-Williams' Comfort Gray set the backdrop for a gold-framed painting above the fireplace. Homeowner Jo Torrijos found the painting at Highland Row Antiques in Atlanta.

A mustard sofa from West Elm and gray swivel chairs from Room & Board frame a Herman Miller bench that homeowner Jo Torrijos snagged for under $35 at a thrift store. Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service.

Books and vintage brass animals are items that stylist Jo Torrijos uses to decorate her renovated Virginia-Highland bungalow. The table is actually a Herman Miller bench that she found at a vintage shop in Mableton.

Jo Torrijos found this Eames-style lounge chair in a thrift shop one Saturday, priced below $35. She quickly bought the vintage treasure-believed to be made by Plycraft-before anyone else could take it. "The same chair easily goes for $600-800, " she says.

This vintage shelf, found at Urban Cottage in Atlanta, adds storage and rustic charm to the timeless kitchen in homeowner Jo Torrijos' Virginia-Highland bungalow.

Open shelving adds storage for dry goods and organization to the pantry of the Virginia-Highland home. The spices and ingredients are decorative in their color and texture, too.

With the help of architect Dave Price of Price Residential Design, homeowner Jo Torrijos transformed the space in her Virginia-Highland attic into a master suite and a guest bedroom and bath. In the master bedroom, built-in bookcases flank the entry to the walk-in closet.

A turquoise dresser provides a mid-century modern touch to homeowner Jo Torrijos' master bedroom, which she carved from attic space in the bungalow she bought in 2008. She found the dresser on Craigslist and painted it herself. Torrijos, a designer who paints and sells furniture at A Simpler Design, also painted the floor mirror, which she found at a thrift shop.

Homeowner Jo Torrijos used chalkboard paint on the front of her built-in refrigerator. Now it's a spot for reminders, lists and messages.

Homeowner Jo Torrijos added sliding French doors to access an expanded deck during renovations in 2013. A blue sectional and blue rug, both from Pottery Barn, create a comfortable space to relax and gaze up at the cafe lights in the evenings.

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"From the original footprint of the house, I immediately fell in love with the sitting room right off the front door, " says homeowner Jo Torrijos, who bought her 1930 Virginia-Highland bungalow in 2008 and renovated in 2013. "I was drawn to the classic brick fireplace and original cabinetry flanking it." Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service

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