Atlanta real estate: Texas transplants find room to make memories

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PHOTOS: Texas transplants find room for new memories, cherished pieces

Retired couple’s new home in Cherokee County is a place for cherished pieces

The fireplace focal wall -- installed by builder Ashton Woods using Lockport Glacier 12-by-24-inch tiles -- creates movement vertically in the living room, while a colorful couch from Article and rug from Overstock ground the space. Photo captions by Lori Johnston and Shannon Adams/Fast Copy News Service.

The Wares built their 3,000-square-foot Cherokee County home through Ashton Woods and moved in this year. The four-bedroom house has 3 1/2 bathrooms. Many of the finishes were selected through Ashton Woods, like the Belle Grae brick on the exterior.

Interior walls in Sherwin-Williams Site White create a clean canvas for displaying art, homeowners Charyl and Anthony Ware say. Their collection includes some pieces by Anthony Ware.

In the hall just off the dining room sits a glass sculpture of Jesus on the cross. It was a gift from their son, who commissioned artist Tom Lillie of Lillie Glassblowers Inc. in Smyrna to fix the piece after it broke during the Wares' move last year from Texas to Georgia.

One of their exceptional pieces of art, a 2-foot-tall monk statue, sits on a glass and iron table in the hall.

The Clifton whitewashed mango coffee table and matching rectangular end table from Z Gallerie center the seating area in the living room. The windows across the back flood the room with natural light, keeping it airy and bright, Charyl Ware said.

"Both of us love the kitchen because we enjoy cooking together and entertaining with family and friends,"Charyl Ware said. The light, airy kitchen -- complete with KitchenAid appliances and Viatera Minuet quartz countertops installed by builder Ashton Woods -- is a sleek space for the Wares to cook together.

The Wares selected most of the light fixtures in their home from their builder, Ashton Woods. The three-light burnished silver pendants over the island in their kitchen are the exception; those they picked out and purchased from Houzz.

The homeowners integrated art into their modern dining room. The pendant light's silver finish fits with the mirror and chrome edges of the chairs. The vase in the corner is a piece Anthony Ware painted himself.

The homeowners bought this art about 15 years ago, when they lived in Texas. Drawn to the varied textures and patterns, they found a place for it in their Georgia home.

An upright bass that belonged to Charyl Ware's father sits in the corner of her upstairs loft. The homeowners installed an Ikea storage unit around the TV, giving them space and utility while keeping neutral colors and smooth lines that work within the room.

The loft is a place to watch TV and movies, and to listen to music, making it one of Anthony Ware's favorite spots in the home.

Charyl Ware fitted one guest bedroom with the 1940s bedroom set that belonged to her parents. She decided to repaint the family heirloom so it would fit the style of her home, while maintaining its sentimental value.

In the corner of the guest room is a curio cabinet that belonged to Charyl Ware's grandmother. Ware remembers visiting her grandmother and going through the cabinet together. Now it holds family photos and sentimental keepsakes, like a pebble off a beach and a toy gun from her husband's childhood.

The Wares furnished a second guest room in sleek espresso-colored furniture from Ikea, topped with bedding from West Elm. A mirror helps to open up the room, which is decorated with organic prints by Colombian artist Patricia Quintero-Pinto the couple bought at HomeGoods and Kirkland's.

When Charyl Ware and her husband moved into their Cherokee County home in 2017, she adopted one of the upstairs bedrooms as her "sanctuary room" where she reads, writes and prays. She selected a Joss and Main trundle daybed and ottoman for the sloped space.

Soft, neutral tones and bedding from West Elm make the master bedroom a calm retreat. When the Wares built the home, they were able to style it with a mix of new items and their own decor, including the bedroom set they purchased years ago from Ashley Furniture.

The burgundy chair in the corner of the master bedroom is Anthony Ware's favorite piece of furniture. Tawny curtains and bedding create a soft, neutral contrast against the Sherwin-Williams Site White walls, keeping the space relaxing while adding style.

The Wares upgraded their master bathroom with a frameless shower with 12-by-24-inch tiles by Shaw. Charyl Ware said she loves the faux wood appearance of the floor tile and the deep soaking tub.

Nickel finishings, granite countertops and Tahoe maple espresso cabinets provide a modern vibe in the new master bathroom.

Charyl Ware says she always wanted a screened porch, and she finds having one in Georgia is even nicer than she imagined. She selected chocolate-brown wicker furniture from Joss and Main and an area rug from Target. A large, wooden toucan the Wares brought back from Mexico adds a pop of color.

Charyl and Anthony Ware moved from Texas to the Riverside neighborhood in Cherokee County.

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The fireplace focal wall -- installed by builder Ashton Woods using Lockport Glacier 12-by-24-inch tiles -- creates movement vertically in the living room, while a colorful couch from Article and rug from Overstock ground the space. Photo captions by Lori Johnston and Shannon Adams/Fast Copy News Service.

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