A bookcase in Travis Snyder’s dining room is deceptive.
It looks like it’s built in, but the splurge piece from Ballard Designs fits just right into a 12-foot space on one of the walls. The cream, five-shelf bookcase also solved a design dilemma, since the room was too narrow for a buffet and the dining table that Snyder, an interior designer, refinished in a winter gray hue.
Once Snyder realized that the bookcase would work, he filled it with serving pieces, glasses, cookbooks and a collection of pitchers and painted the back of the bookcase blue to make the white dishes pop out. Spotlights from Ikea add ambient light, especially when he is entertaining in his Union City home.
“I host dinners every now and then,” he said. “You put those on and dim the chandelier.”
Snapshot
Residents: Travis Snyder and Craig Cowan, and their dogs, Benjiman and Toby. Snyder is a senior associate interior designer with Banko Design; Cowan is a nursing professor.
Location: Union City
Size: 2,500 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths
Year built/bought: 2004
Architectural style: Traditional
Favorite architectural elements: The shingles give a Cape Cod, cottage style to the home, Snyder said.
Renovations: They have installed new floors and countertops throughout and added a patio/pergola and new landscaping. They painted and changed out all of the decorative fixtures. "We've pretty much changed every surface in those 11 years," Snyder said.
Interior design style: Southern preppy
Favorite interior design elements: The use of classic preppy colors such as tangerine, kelly green and navy blue in the furniture, drapes, rugs, bedding, pillows and accessories, Snyder said.
Favorite furniture: A pair of vintage rattan stools in front of the fireplace. They're topped with a classic Scalamandre print fabric. He often reupholsters or paints vintage pieces that he finds in stores or on Craigslist, where he got the stools. "It's all about being able to see the potential in the piece," he said.
Resources: Vintage stores such as Queen of Hearts Antiques and Interiors in Alpharetta, thrift shops such as the Goodwill of North Georgia store on Roswell Road in Buckhead, along with Craigslist and Ikea.
Decor tip: "People are so worried about mixing patterns. I think it makes something more interesting, as long as there's a common denominator," Snyder said. In the master bedroom for example, he used light blue, navy and coral as common colors in furniture, rugs and bedding with a mix of patterns.
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