Karla Arriola estimates it took about two-and-a-half years to finish the floor plan and design to transform a sprawling ranch foreclosure into a Hacienda-style home with a new second floor and three covered patios in Chastain Park.
“I know every nook and cranny,” she said.
New spaces also include a main kitchen with a catering kitchen behind it decorated with Mexican tile and pre-Columbian pieces from Guatemala and South America. The couple, who also have a home in the jungle of Costa Rica, named their Atlanta home, “Villa del Bosque,” because of its wooded setting.
Snapshot
Residents: Karla Arriola and Michael Kalmes, and pets Baci and Jack. Arriola is a real estate agent with Keller Williams Buckhead. Kalmes is a retired GE corporate officer who owns Innovate Consulting.
Location: Chastain Park in Atlanta
Size: About 4,200 heated square feet (5,500 covered square feet), five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths
Year built: 1954
Year bought: 2010
Year renovated: 2014
Builder: Lefko Group
Architect: Fernando Garcia
Renovations: They added two bedrooms, two bathrooms and three covered patios, and moved the laundry room from the garage to the interior. The ceiling heights were raised from 8 feet to 11 feet on the main floor and in the private quarters, and with the second story, they were able to create 15-foot ceilings in the foyer, called the Grand Hall. The master bathroom was renovated to accommodate a bigger shower.
Architectural style: Colombian hacienda (descendent of the Spanish Colonial)
Favorite architectural elements: The balconies and window railings in a rustic wood finish and the ceiling heights.
Design consultants: Jennifer Kalmes of Interiyours (Michael Kalmes' daughter), Loreto Tari with Timberland Cabinets, Gentry Ironworks, Gus Cueto of Advanced Premises Systems, Adam Ardoin of Landscape Studio, Baldomero Velasquez (landscape/hardscape installation)
Interior design style: Eclectic hacienda
Favorite interior design elements: Furniture, art and accessories from at least 19 countries.
Resources: Arhaus, Gado Gado, Savvy Snoot, Pottery Barn, Frontgate, No Mas! Hacienda, Francois & Co., Thomasville, Progressive Lighting, Spacemakers, GE Monogram, Ferguson Bath and Kitchen Gallery, Kohler, Delta, Blanco, Lamp Arts, The Dump, Stone Connection, Levantina, RH (formerly Restoration Hardware), vintagetub.com
Paint colors: Sherwin-Williams Duration, Kilim Beige, Latte, Nomadic Desert, Tony Taupe, Shoji White, Mindful Gray, Divine White. Exterior walls are a mix of Sherwin-Williams' Kilim Beige and Macadamia, Weathered Teak, Cobble Brown.
Decor tip: Take your time to find furniture and accessories that you can live with for a long time and that will grow with your family, said homeowner Karla Arriola.
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