Many of the design choices in a remodeled Marietta home, down to the calming paint colors, already fit with Mark and Mary Jo Kovacs’ casual design style.
Their updates, such as giving the family room fireplace a more contemporary look and refinishing the hardwood floors a darker color, further enhanced the interiors. To put more emphasis on the outdoors, which had a pool, they put in sweat equity by building an outdoor fireplace and seating wall, among other entertainment-friendly elements.
“As we did one thing, it just started to lead to another,” Mary Jo said.
Snapshot
Residents: Mark and Mary Jo Kovacs, and their cat, Inky. The couple own the International Tennis Performance Association, a tennis fitness education and certification organization; Mark also is president of Metis Performance, a sports and business consulting firm.
Location: Marietta
Size: About 3,645 square feet, five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
Year built: 2003
Year bought: 2013
Architectural style: Traditional
Favorite architectural elements: Ultra high ceilings, columns, intricate crown molding
Contractor: Moore Contract Services, based in Marietta
Type of renovations: The previous owners had renovated the kitchen and bathrooms. The Kovacs had the wood floors professionally refinished and stained. They painted several rooms; stained the outside patio; installed a home theater system; painted the banisters a glossy black; changed the wood-burning fireplace by adding a custom mirror backdrop and blue fireglass and painting the brick; and installed cabinets, including wine cubbies around the refrigerator.
Interior design style: Casual eclectic with contemporary flair
Favorite interior design elements: DIY projects by Mary Jo, who learned from her father how to refinish items. A dining room buffet from Craigslist originally was a maple color and in rough shape, but she stripped, sanded and repainted it white, adding stainless steel handles from IKEA. “I loved the lines of it and I knew that it had potential,” she said. A TV stand and bookshelves from the Ballard Designs’ outlet in Roswell were dented, but she sanded them down, repaired and repainted them.
Favorite accessories: Many of the decorations are an ode to Mark’s Australian roots, including authentic Aborigine boomerangs, plates and Australian silver pieces from Don Sheil. Abstract artwork in the family room is an authentic Australian Aborigine painting.
Favorite outdoor features: The pool and front screened porch, which were existing. The Kovacs built an outdoor fireplace (using a kit from Colonial Fireplace) and seating wall, and added a “zen garden” and putting green to the nearly 2-acre property.
Landscaper: Hayes Landscapes, based in Acworth
Decor tip: Don’t be afraid to buy a furniture with dents or the wrong color. “A little wood putty, sanding, painting and hard work can turn a dud into a stud,” Mary Jo said. “Plus, it’s good exercise.”
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