Candace Alexander McNair wanted to downsize without feeling like she was living in a “tiny” place.
So the interior designer halved her space, moving from a 6,000-square-foot home in east Cobb after her airline pilot husband died, to a 3,000-square-foot condominium in the Sanctuary at One River Place.
“I am a collector of things and wanted enough space for my most memorable things,” McNair said.
Snapshot
Resident: Candace Alexander McNair
Location: the Sanctuary at One River Place
Size: 3,170 square feet, three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
Year built: 2009
Year bought: 2011
Architectural style: contemporary
Renovations: "I didn't really do any renovations to the home; I made improvements to it. I added wood floors to the bedroom and den, I redid the powder room by adding a pedestal sink with a vanity and hammered nicked sink and faucet from J. Tribble on Miami Circle [in Buckhead]. Additionally, I added a Toto toilet. In the master bedroom I updated the closets. The light fixtures in the home were replaced with fixtures that I had from my old home. I also added a dinning room chandelier that was purchased at the Big Chandelier on 14th Street."
Favorite architectural feature: molded 10-foot ceilings, which, she said, add a sense of grace to the space.
Interior design style: Traditional, a touch of modern with Western influences. "The Western theme is rooted deep within me. My mother and father lived in Wyoming and I lived most of my life in Georgia. I consider myself a Georgia girl but my parents' heritage is always with me. My father was a saddle maker and I have always identified with that way of life. Within my home, there are lots of paintings of cowboys and Western themes. I have also collected and have been fortunate enough to be able to decorate my home with lots of Southwestern pieces of art and antiques."
Favorite design feature: "I love to cook and my family loves to cook, so I wanted a kitchen with lots of space to do it. It is a well-designed kitchen with Viking appliances and updated granite countertops and custom cabinets. The islands in the kitchen are designed so that if you aren't cooking in the kitchen you can still be in the space and be a part of what is going on."
Favorite outdoor feature: "Having the river next to my home is amazing. Not only is it next to my home, but my patio opens up to views of the Chattahoochee River. I am peacefully located next to the river and woods. It is perfect. I was raised in Atlanta and cherish trees, the forest and the green space."
