Midtown Atlanta couple melds past with present in Georgian Revival redo

Built-in bookshelves and a sectional wrap around the great room. The shelves were designed to accommodate the flat-screen TV from their previous home.The coffered ceiling adds dimension while the expansive open windows offer a view to the backyard.

Credit: Text by Marena Galluccio/ Photos by Christopher Oquendo

Credit: Text by Marena Galluccio/ Photos by Christopher Oquendo

Built-in bookshelves and a sectional wrap around the great room. The shelves were designed to accommodate the flat-screen TV from their previous home.The coffered ceiling adds dimension while the expansive open windows offer a view to the backyard.

When Michael Halwig and his wife, Nancy, purchased a 1916 Georgian Revival home in Midtown Atlanta, they didn’t expect to rebuild the entire house.

The couple planned minor renovations, but the home — broken up into a duplex — had deteriorated so much that they decided to build a “modern” replica, he said.

Using the original layout, the couple, who downsized from Vinings, teamed with Castlecraft Homes and Pritchett + Dixon Residential Design for the 13-month renovations.

Michael and Nancy Halwig rebuilt their Midtown Atlanta home in 2009, using the 1916 plans for the Georgian Revival home. The exterior is painted in Composed with trim in Statuesque by Behr.

Credit: Christopher Oquendo

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Credit: Christopher Oquendo

“From the street, you can’t tell that it is a new house,” he said. “It looks almost exactly like the old house, so we were able to preserve the neighborhood.”

Snapshot

Residents: J. Michael Halwig, a physician at Atlanta Allergy and Asthma, and Nancy D. Halwig, a commercial banker at United Community Bank.

Location: Midtown

Size: 3,600 square feet, four bedrooms, three full and two half baths, plus a 900-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment above the garage.

Year built/bought: The current house was built in 2009 and modeled after the original 1916 home.

Architectural style: Georgian Revival

Favorite architectural elements: The Halwigs said they were determined to retain some of the home's older character, such as the fireplace surround and the wood trim. "Basically, we kept a lot of the wood features in the new home that were in the old one," Michael said.

Renovations: The house was demolished and rebuilt, with an addition of an in-ground pool and a two-car garage with a second-story bedroom apartment. Inside, new spaces include a breakfast nook, and they also carved out a full basement from what originally was a partial basement with a crawl space.

Cost of renovations: $1.07 million

Design consultants: Craig Davis of Castlecraft Homes; Todd Pritchett and Craig Dixon of Pritchett + Dixon Residential Design; landscape architect Paige Shaw; interior designer Monika Thiels of Staged to Sell

Interior design styles: Traditional with transitional touches

Favorite interior design elements: They've updated pieces of furniture they have owned for 30 to 40 years with upholstery for a current, modern look. Those existing pieces are paired with new contemporary furniture in spaces such as the great room and kitchen.

Favorite outdoor features: The pool, patio and built-in gas grill. "They serve as a quiet calm oasis within the active Midtown area," Michael said.

Resources: Paint by Sherwin-Williams, Behr and Benjamin Moore. Lights by The Big Chandelier. Fabric for upholstery from Lewis and Sheron Textiles. Appliances by Viking.

Decor tips: Keep a key item throughout the house. In the Halwigs' home, floral patterns seen in the fabrics, wall art and light fixtures ground and connect the interiors, even if design styles change.