Bold Coke art by Georgia artist Steve Penley, eclectic paintings and accessories from around the world, and sports memorabilia fill the space in the new Sandy Springs home of Hal and Lee Kravitz, executives with The Coca-Cola Co.
College football national champion Auburn gets its share of the spotlight in their six-bedroom, six full- and three half-bath residence, with autographed items, letters and other team gear collected by Lee, a third-generation Auburn graduate.
Shaq’s oversized sneaker leaves a big footprint in their finished basement, along with signed jerseys from LeBron James, the Olympic Dream Team and 2011 NFL MVP Tom Brady on the walls. Major sporting events, such as the 1997 Super Bowl, are commemorated with a Peter Max poster, endorsed with a personal note from Max to Hal. The basement also includes Norman Rockwell Coke prints and another Penley painting.
Guests don’t have to wait to reach the basement to see the Penley’s art; a painting featuring a glass Coke bottle is the focal point above the fireplace in the paneled study off the foyer. Built-in bookcases display Coke items -- from the 1980 commemorative Coke bottle from the Georgia Bulldogs’ national championship to a car made out of aluminum Coke can material from Vietnam -- owned by Hal, who has worked for Coca-Cola for 27 years. A radio from South Africa made from Coke cans with 2010 World Cup graphics is another cool piece.
The couple, assisted by Laura Dew, a real estate agent with Keller Williams First Atlanta, found the home built by Amin Tejani of Annur Properties while searching for casual entertaining space. Their previous Buckhead residence offered more formal, separate rooms that didn’t reflect their current lifestyle.
“We were looking for things that that house didn’t particularly have; there wasn’t a big living space,” said Hal, 53, an executive in Coca-Cola’s North America Group.
The wood and stonework throughout the new European-style home gave the couple the relaxed feel they were seeking, along with the quality in the details, such as every cabinet (even in the laundry room) made of cherry wood, Hal said. After Lee saw the kitchen, she didn’t need to check out the rest of the house.
“It begged for crowds,” said Lee, 39, an executive in global marketing for Coke. “We love to entertain. It was everything that made us feel it was home.”
The home offers three dishwashers, two prep sinks, a 48-inch Viking range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator and a wine cooler, all set in a room with stone archways. After moving in, they added their own touches, such as four stools around the island made from red wine barrels and streetscape photos they bought in Paris.
The kitchen leads to the keeping room, one of the many rooms with elaborate ceilings -- this time, a vaulted tongue and groove ceiling with exposed beams for a lodge-like feel.
“Every single ceiling in the house is unique,” Hal said.
A custom ceiling in the bedroom and family room on the terrace level boasts extra details such as rope lighting. There’s a dome ceiling in an upstairs bedroom and a coffered ceiling in the family room on the main level, which has built-in bookcases and a hand-carved fireplace mantel by Francois & Co. It’s one of four fireplaces in the home.
The children have their own spaces, too. A downstairs bedroom, painted in a mustard-orange, is a cheerful spot for Hal’s two grown daughters -- Lauren, who attends the University of Alabama, and Rachel, who works in Nashville. It’s decorated with vibrant eclectic landscapes and artwork that Lee picked up in Costa Rica, Africa and Spain.
The baseball-themed bedroom of Hal’s 5-year-old son, Sam, holds balls from the Braves, items from the Yankees and baseball cards amid bunk beds, and has royal blue walls and ceiling. Another bedroom has a perfect kids’ hiding place, with a loft accessible from a ladder.
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