The courtyard style of Billy and Katherine Gardner’s home creates an intimate outdoor gathering space and floor plan that fits with their family and art collection.
They can view the courtyard, fountain and landscaping, inspired by a Japanese garden, from the living room, dining room, master bedroom and detached cabana. The bedrooms also are situated to offer privacy away from the main living area.
“The courtyard layout was great for us because I have teenage kids and it’s almost like having four separate suites,” Katherine said.
Those rooms as well as others inside the home offer large amounts of wall space for the couple to display artwork they treasure, such as a bronze sculpture by the late American sculptor Frederick Hart.
“That one is perfect, I think,” Billy said.
Snapshot
Residents: Billy and Katherine Gardner, and Katherine's children, Kate, 16, and Will McKinney, 14. Billy is a physician; Katherine is a nurse practitioner.
Location: The Georgia Club, Statham
Size: 3,400 square feet, four bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths
Year built: 2012
Year bought: 2013
Architectural style: Courtyard-style home
Renovations: The couple expanded the outdoor living space and improved the drainage. They added a paver walkway and patio, which conceals a French drainage system, adjacent to the existing stained concrete patio. Other changes included installing a dry stream along the back of the property to accommodate the rainwater runoff; adding a round paver patio in the backyard, large decorative boulders and two flagstone walls; and adding Japanese maples, camellias, evergreens and iris, all in keeping with a traditional Japanese garden. Inside, they expanded the dark, rustic wood floors to include the two downstairs bedrooms.
Interior design style: Traditional, with touches of Asian/Indonesian influence.
Favorite interior design elements: Antiques and impressionistic art, dark woods, rustic iron and rich red and gold color palette.
Landscape designer: Gardens South Landscaping & Design, Athens
Favorite outdoor feature: The dry steam, boulders and Japanese maples, which Katherine said carries the Asian-influenced interior design style outside. The courtyard design with the fountain is another focal point.
Resources: Furniture from the Tommy Bahama Home collection by Lexington; High Cotton in Madison; and Bramble furniture from Dutchmans Casual Living in Highlands, N.C.
Favorite artwork: Romantic impressionistic oil paintings by Stephen Shortridge of Shortridge Fine Art in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a bronze sculpture by Frederick Hart (from Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Galleries in St. Augustine, Fla.) and Yao ceremonial paintings (from an antique dealer in Australia).
Decor tip: Remember that lighting is important in creating ambiance, Katherine said. The Gardners have installed halogen spotlights and dimmers on the chandeliers to accent their artwork.
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