Atlanta real estate: Music, heirlooms inspire Decatur Craftsman decor

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PHOTOS: Music, heirlooms inspire Decatur Craftsman’s decor

Folk singer and her Emory professor husband filled their DeKalb County home with family antiques, decor inspired by their home state of Mississippi.

Two red sofas and a red rug pop against the neutral wall colors in the living room. The room opens to the kitchen, providing plenty of gathering space for family and friends. Text by Lori Johnston and Katie Tiller/Fast Copy News Service.

The Craftsman home has four bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. Caroline Herring and Joseph Crespino bought in 2015 while it was being built by Lockman Homebuilding Co. Caroline Cooley was an interior design consultant.

Guests are greeted by a traditional Craftsman door. The glass panes, along with a transom window and half-sidelights, allow light to flood the foyer without sacrificing privacy.

A painting titled "Women of the Coffee and the Cane" brings a lively burst of color to the entryway. Herring acquired the artwork, which depicts women harvesting coffee and sugar, while working at a gallery that specialized in Cuban paintings.

The bench was in Crespino's childhood home. Today, it backs up to a couch in the living room, providing extra seating and another family heirloom in the traditional Craftsman home.

The large chest is actually a Grundig console radio that Herring's aunt bought in Germany in the 1950s.

Built-in cabinetry hides the TV without sacrificing space. The home was built by Patrick Lockman of Lockman Homebuilding Co. in Atlanta.

In 2015, Herring and Crespino bought this Craftsman-style home in Decatur near their former house. Their dining table made the six-block move to their breakfast nook; the new pendant light is from Circa Lighting.

Herring said the Craftsman home is elegant without being too statel She's decorated the dining room with a quatrefoil chandelier from Circa Lighting, deep red Morris & Co. wallpaper and even her upright bass.

The windows in the dining room provide a view of the front porch and yard. Caroline Herring decorated her dining room with red and gold accents, choosing a new quatrefoil chandelier from Circa Lighting to offset her grandmother's antique mirror. Text by Lori Johnston and Katie Tiller/Fast Copy News Service.
(Christopher Oquendo Photography)

Just off the kitchen, the butler's pantry offers additional storage and counter space. To create the pantry, the homeowners removed a window and lined the wall with cabinets.

The island in the kitchen has marble countertops.

In the kitchen, Herring displays artwork from her latest album, "Camilla." Each piece, created by Alice Pattullo, represents a song.

A piano, which folk singer/songwriter Caroline Herring purchased from Agnes Scott College, is tucked into the corner of her library/music room. Above the piano hangs a painting by Dianne Tuttle.

On a coffee table once owned by Herring's grandmother, Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" sits next to a book on Mississippi music.

On the screened back porch, Herring and Crespino chose weather-resistant outdoor furniture from AuthenTEAK in west Midtown. The rustic star was a purchase from Target.

In the den, the homeowners asked the builder to create wall-to-wall bookshelves, similar to those Herring and Crespino had in their childhood homes. Herring says the shelves are heavy with books on Southern history, literature, cooking, music and Elvis.

The guest bathroom is decorated with Morris & Co.'s "Strawberry Thief" wallpaper. The family framed a poster they picked up in 2014 in Germany, when Crespino, an Emory professor, taught for six months at the University of Tubingen.

Four prints from Mississippi artist Walter Anderson's animal series are displayed in Sam's bedroom. Herring selected original art throughout her home, including her kids' rooms.

This Decatur teen's is filled with the things she loves. She is an avid baker and competed in the Food Network's "Kids Sweets Showdown" in 2016. She displays her apron and a picture of the show participants, along with butterfly artwork by Mississippi artist Walter Anderson. Christopher Oquendo/AJC FILE

A bluish-gray hue creates a relaxing feel in the master bedroom. The homeowners furnished the room with a tufted headboard from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, a chaise from Finders Keepers Consignments in Avondale Estates and a wooden chest passed down from family. The green paisley curtains were custom made.

In the master bathroom, artwork by friend and Southern artist Carlyle Wolfe hangs above the oval standalone tub next to a frameless glass shower.Herring says she likes to decorate her home with art made by friends.

Herring, a folk singer and musician, and Crespino, an author and history professor at Emory University, purchased their Decatur Craftsman in 2015 after they spotted it under construction while living just six blocks away. They live in the home with son Sam, daughter Carrie and dog Teddy.

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Two red sofas and a red rug pop against the neutral wall colors in the living room. The room opens to the kitchen, providing plenty of gathering space for family and friends. Text by Lori Johnston and Katie Tiller/Fast Copy News Service.

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