Anna-Louise Wolfe knew at an early age that interior design was her calling. She subscribed to home decor magazines, and starting in elementary school, she drew houses on paper and cut up magazines to create a collage of how she would decorate the rooms. She used money from odd jobs to redecorate her own room.
After apprenticing with Judy Bentley, an Atlanta interior designer, she set out on her own in 2015, around the same time she bought her historic unit in Collier House, an Ardmore Park building with 15 condo units.
Credit: Text by Kat Khoury/ Photo by Reynolds Rogers
Credit: Text by Kat Khoury/ Photo by Reynolds Rogers
Wolfe transformed the interiors to reflect the original 1920s style of the building, formerly called Wycliff Apartments. Her real-life home harkens back to those collages, using balance and symmetry to reflect design passions, such as color and chinoiserie. It's on the 2019 Cathedral Antiques Show's Young Collectors' Home Tour on Jan. 26.
“My favorite part of the whole thing is the layering of the different fabrics and textures and colors,” said Wolfe.
Snapshot
Residents: Anna-Louise Wolfe, an interior designer and owner of Anna-Louise Wolfe Ltd., and her long-haired Chihuahua, Elsie.
Location: Atlanta's Ardmore Park neighborhood
Size: 850 square feet, one bedroom, one bath
Year built/bought: 1929/2015
Architectural style: Colonial revival
Favorite architectural elements: Gabled terra cotta roof, three-story porch tiers, Corinthian columns, high ceilings, hardwood floors, large moldings, glass doorknobs
Renovations: She re-painted the interior, updated the kitchen with elements such as Whirlpool appliances, soapstone countertops and a Kingston Brass faucet, and replaced the light fixtures throughout to reflect the original era.
Interior design style: Traditional with a twist
Favorite interior design elements: Wolfe starts with a fabric that speaks to her, such as The Setter by Cowtan & Tout that she uses in her living room, and built on its mauve, yellow and blue accents.
Favorite room: The sunroom. "I love the light that streams in from two full walls of windows. It's where I have my coffee and read every morning with Elsie in my lap," she said.
Resources: Fabrics from Chelsea Textiles, Schumacher, Cowtan & Tout, Osborne & Little, Gaston y Daniela, Lee Jofa and Braquenie. Art from Mallory Page and Parc Monceau. Furniture from Toby West Antiques, Mainly Baskets, Caroline Faison Antiques and The Lamp Shoppe. Paint is Benjamin Moore's Upper West Side, Rocking Chair, Love Always and Pink Damask. Kitchen wallpaper from Thibaut.
Decor tip: "If it's a piece that you absolutely love, you'll always find a place for it," Wolfe said. She advises her clients, "Keep looking until you find what it is that really speaks to you."
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