Jane McCune faced a difficult decision when she retired three years ago. She loved her tree-filled backyard garden on an acre, but renovating her aging Sandy Springs home would cost at least $350,000.
She chose to tear down her brick split-level home and modify a home plan by Kennesaw design firm Frank Betz Associates. The new home, which cost about $560,000, now offers unexpected spaces such as a vaulted, beamed room for container gardening. Beyond the arched windows, she can view her beloved Japanese maples, camellias and azaleas.
“I didn’t want my plants hurt. They built it right on the same site,” she said. “It’s also a real blessing to be able to have a house that you want to retire into that gives you the room and the ability to do all your crafts and the things you love.”
Snapshot
Residents: Jane McCune, son Michael McCune, and cats Tootsie and Oreo
Location: Sandy Springs
Size: 3,800 square feet, four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
Year built: 2015
Builder: Terence Lewis of Portico Properties
Architectural style: English country
Favorite architectural elements: Stone exterior, wooden carriage doors with metal straps and old lanterns, stained beams, pocket doors, 22-foot stone fireplace, stained interior maple doors, trim and arches, 10-foot ceilings.
Design consultant: Devon Garner of DLG Interiors
Interior design style: English country
Favorite interior design elements: Antique iron chandeliers, custom kitchen cabinetry, hidden Sub-Zero and KitchenAid appliances, slate tile hood, handmade terra cotta tile backsplash, custom mosaic bathroom tile featuring peonies
Project consultants: The Yard Man (landscaping), Marilynn Enterprises (custom cabinetry), Aztec Stone Empire, AVI (Marvin windows), Toledo Stone Design (granite), North Georgia Brick Co., Signature Shutters, Dalton Flooring Outlet, Over Your Head (wallpaper), Guy Gunter & Associates (appliances and garage door), Compleat Stair Co.
Resources: Furniture from Lakewood Antiques (Jim Duffy Galleries), Currey and Co., American Leather and Elite Leather; lighting from The Big Chandelier and Masterpiece Lighting.
Decor tip: When bringing hobbies into decor, pay attention to the scale of the rooms. McCune loves florals in her fabric and selected mostly floral pattern windows fabric for every room. The challenge was using multiple floral patterns that can be seen from all rooms, Garner said. One idea is to use similar colors and change the scale of the pattern or reverse the background color. In the dining room, they selected a Schumacher fabric in the classic yet casual Fox Hollow pattern.
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