Living in Atlanta: Virginia-Highland home sparkles in holiday colors

Home and Garden

PHOTOS: Virginia-Highland bungalow decked out for Christmas

Gold and white join red and green as homeowners deck the halls of their intown Atlanta bungalow.

A feather wreath on the door leading to the casual, earth-toned den contrasts with the more formal adjacent living room, which homeowners Joey Kendrick and Bill Gandee decorated in bright golds and whites. Text by Lori Johnston and Shannon Adams/Fast Copy News Service.

Kendrick and Gandee bought their Virginia-Highland home in 2011. The home was built in 1917.

When Kendrick and Gandee renovated their home, they reoriented the staircase to open up the lower level. The couple disliked that you had to walk through the dining room in order to access the bedrooms or the kitchen, so they made the space flow the way they wanted.

Kendrick made the garland for his home's bannister. "We troll through every shop possible, and buy different things and group it all together," he said. By combining greenery, white faux flowers and bits of gold, Kendrick took the home's year-round color palette and accented it for the holidays, instead of trying to completely redecorate.

Kendrick made the wreath that hangs in the entryway of his Virginia-Highland home. It adds holiday spirit to the federal-style mirror, which came from the former Historic Lakewood Antiques Market (it has a new location and is now called the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market). The metallic Christmas trees that greet guests are from HomeGoods.

Wire Christmas trees sparkle with jewels atop a round table in the foyer. The table once stood in an hotel lobby, but Gandee gave it a new home after discovering it in an antiques market. On the wall, framed photos of Kendrick's mother and grandfather watch over the home.

The gold-and-white Christmas decorations blend seamlessly with the sofa and wingback chairs from Ethan Allen, Blenko glass and the other year-round decor. The Santa on the living room tree belonged to Kendrick's mom.

On the Chippendale coffee table sits a handmade gold ribbon Christmas tree made by Kendrick's mom, and a coffee table book of Audubon prints. The book is a nod to Charleston, where Kendrick and his husband, Bill Gandee, purchased some of the Audubon prints they display in their traditional Atlanta bungalow.

Three stockings hang from the mantel: one for Gandee, one for Kendrick and one as a memorial to their Yorkshire Terrier, Missy, who died a few years ago. Crystal initials from a shop in Savannah decorate the stockings, and Kendrick draped greenery across the mantel to give the space a winter vibe. Wheat sconces, from the Historic Charleston Foundation shop, add another touch of formality to the living room.

A butcher block cart makes entertaining easier and adds portable preparation space in the Virginia-Highland kitchen. Extra prep space, along with built-in double ovens, comes in handy when hosting friends.

Tying into the room's year-round natural, organic decor, the Christmas tree in the den has woodsy flair. Seed pods, sticks, vines and other bits of nature all went into making the woodlands theme a reality.

Large pinecones from a forest in Washington state mingle with forest creatures from Crate and Barrel, dried mushrooms and seed pods to create a rustic tableau on the built-in shelves in the den.

The den's built-in bookshelves hold an eclectic collection of mementos and decor, including a set of tiny reader books, one of Kendrick's grandmother's readers and his grandfather's name plate from when he was a circuit court clerk.

A handwoven Bhutanese refugee kudzu basket, purchased at the annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park, hangs in the master bedroom. After buying several kudzu baskets, Kendrick and Gandee decided to spring for the large one, with no plan except they knew they wanted it in their home. When it came time to redecorate the master bedroom, they found a spot for it above the headboard.

Hints of Christmas even trickle into the master bath, where baubles and candles line the tub. "I'm in there brushing my teeth, I should still be in the Christmas mood," Kendrick said. The painting above the tub, which he affectionately calls "the mermaid women," came from an art show.

Cherry bedroom furniture, passed down to Kendrick from his grandmother, stands out against the guest bedroom's blue walls, painted Woodlawn Sterling Blue from Valspar's National Trust Historic Colors. The teddy bear on the bed is a cherished possession, a memento from Gandee's first job.

Kendrick tiled the back of the built-in shelves in his guest bathroom. His goal was to add style while maintaining a masculine feel with blue-and-black hues. The framed photos, purchased at a Piedmont Park festival, stay year-round, but the black votives that usually sit in these cubbies have been replaced during the holidays with elegant blue stags.

Black leather furniture and a third Christmas tree, this one a tabletop variety with vibrant red accents, create a statement in the sunroom. Lanterns from Crate and Barrel sit on the zinc table, also from Crate and Barrel.

A bright green fiddle-leaf fig dominates a corner in the sunroom, adding color and a conservatory feel to the space. The painted brick wall creates a muted contrast to the vibrant colors in the oil painting of a New Orleans jazz band.

Kendrick and Gandee love their slate side patio, which matches the front walk. The La-Z-Boy furniture makes it a great place for entertaining or relaxing. The Virginia-Highland home also has a large deck, installed in 2013 by DeckPro.

Homeowners Joey Kendrick and Bill Gandee bought their Virginia-Highland home in 2011 and moved in after working with Intown Renovations Group. The home was built in 1917, and now has 3,200 square feet, three bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths. Kendrick is director of the design and construction department at Regus, a provider of flexible workplaces, and Gandee is director of global sales for Office Depot's Copy and Print Depot.

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A feather wreath on the door leading to the casual, earth-toned den contrasts with the more formal adjacent living room, which homeowners Joey Kendrick and Bill Gandee decorated in bright golds and whites. Text by Lori Johnston and Shannon Adams/Fast Copy News Service.

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