Sandy Springs home filled with treasured heirlooms

Mary and Bob Love built their Sandy Springs home in 1983. With four daughters, they were looking for enough land to build their home, put in a pool and add a tennis court. Since Mary grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and is fond of the architectural and decor style there, the home has a strong Charleston vibe, with large porches and high ceilings. The front porch, with a porch swing reminiscent of the one Mary had growing up, has that Southern charm the couple were hoping to achieve, with flower containers that Mary herself enjoys tending. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

With a formal dining room and a designated music room, it would have been easy for the space to feel overly formal, but Mary and Bob Love want their Sandy Springs home to feel warm and inviting. Reynolds Rogers/For The AJC

With two grandsons and one more on the way, Bob and Mary Love wanted a dedicated space for the boys when they came to visit. Their room, like the most of the house, is filled with family touches, like the green shelves that were built by Mary’s father and the heirloom mahogany dresser that Mary refinished herself. Even the glider chair has been with Mary and Bob since their youngest daughter was born. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

A 1,200-bottle wine cellar is tucked away in the basement of Mary and Bob Love’s Sandy Springs home. With vapor barrier walls, the space is temperature controlled to keep the couple’s collection of wine at the ideal temperature. The couple worked with Tod Ban, a wine cellar designer in Atlanta, to design and build the space when they renovated the basement in 2005. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

The solarium, just off the kitchen, is where Mary and Bob Love spend most of their time. A soft neutral background of Benjamin Moore Ice Formations on the walls gives the space a fresh look, while a custom rug from Myers carpet grounds the room. The sofa and chair from Charles Stewart Company and coffee table from Kudzu Antiques + Modern make for a cozy sitting place. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

Mary and Bob Love moved to Sandy Springs in 1983 with their four daughters, who are now all grown. The couple runs Love Properties, a commcercial real estate group. Their home will be on the Dunwoody Home Tour on Wednesday, October 02, 2019. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

Off the kitchen sits a whitewashed trestle table from Pier1 Imports that is big enough to fit homeowners Mary and Bob Love and their four adult daughters when they come to visit. A kids table for their grandchildren folds out from one of the kitchen cabinets. A custom barn door by Tyson Construction leads to a large pantry that Mary herself helped to design. The stunning rectangular light fixture above the table is from Shades of Light. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

Mary and Bob Love wanted their large yard, sitting on nearly two acres, to be beautiful but also functional and fun. When they built their home in 1983 they put in a pool and a tennis court. Althea Griffin of Garden Gals helped them design their backyard garden, removing typical boxwoods and foliage and thoughtfully replacing them with flora that bloom at different times and give the yard an airier loook. Mary herself is an avid gardener, and plants and tends many of the florals in the yard. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

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Mary and Bob Love built their Sandy Springs home in 1983. With four daughters, they were looking for enough land to build their home, put in a pool and add a tennis court. Since Mary grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and is fond of the architectural and decor style there, the home has a strong Charleston vibe, with large porches and high ceilings. The front porch, with a porch swing reminiscent of the one Mary had growing up, has that Southern charm the couple were hoping to achieve, with flower containers that Mary herself enjoys tending. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers.

By Shannon Dominy

Sept 18, 2019

Mary and Bob Love’s home is filled with pieces that tie them to their family. Their six-bedroom home is large and well appointed, but in each room you can find a piece that was passed down to the couple or made by Mary’s father. Her father handcrafted their dining room table, nursery shelving, corner cupboards and more throughout the home.

“My father was quite a craftsman,” said Mary. “He loved doing it.”

Much of their home is decorated in a traditional style with more transitional spaces woven in. With a formal dining room and a designated music room, it would have been easy for the space to feel overly formal, but Mary and Bob want their home to feel warm and inviting.

“I did not want it to be a museum or an untouchable place. I wanted it to be comfortable,” said Mary. “I can put my feet up and feel comfortable, and that’s the feeling that we wanted.”

The Loves’ house will be on the Dunwoody Home Tour Oct. 2.

Snapshot

Residents: Mary and Bob Love, the owners of Love Properties.

Location: Sandy Springs

Size: 8,200 square feet with six bedrooms and 5.5 baths

Year built: 1983

Renovations: Total renovation of the kitchen, laundry room and solarium in 2018. Complete renovation of the basement, including adding the wine cellar, plus updates in the upstairs bathrooms in 2005.

Project consultants: Althea Griffin of Garden Gals, landscaper Israel Gonzales of IG landscaping, interior design by Sandy Hanna with SGH Interiors, basement renovation by Hortman and Associates Inc, contractor Shane Elrod of Contemporary Expressions, tile installation by Ken Kehle of Stone, Tile Technicians, wine cellar design by Tod Ban, electric work by Rob Wagner with Wagner Electronics and kitchen fixture installation by Personal Plumbing.

Architectural style: Charleston Traditional

Favorite architectural elements: Upstairs piazza, front porch and skylights

Interior design styles: Traditional and transitional

Favorite interior design elements: Furniture handmade by Mary's father and heirloom furniture.

Favorite outdoor feature: Porch swing, pool and tennis court.

Resources: Furniture and decor from Kudzu Antiques + Modern, Pier1 Imports, Charles Stewart Company, Tyson Construction, La-Z-Boy, 14th Street Antiques & Modern Home, Brice Limited, Wayfair, and Myers Carpet. Tiles by Renaissance Tile & Bath and Ceramic Technics. Lighting by Shades of Light and Circa Lighting. Art by Karen Garner and Mary Noutash of Faux Proz. Windows and doors by Atlanta Area Window & Door. Paint colors are Benjamin Moore Ice Formations in the solarium, Benjamin Moore Briarwood on the kitchen cabinets and Benjamin Moore Alaskan Skies on the kitchen walls.

CONTACT US

If you have a beautifully designed home in the Atlanta area, we’d love to feature you! Email Shannon.N.Dominy@gmail.com for more info.

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Shannon Dominy

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