Personal organizer Stephanie Walsh thought of it all before building a new home at Serenbe.
She planned out how she and her husband, Brandon Blanchard, who enjoy making Sunday brunch together and entertaining, would use the kitchen and how important appliances, such as the Miele espresso machine, fit into the design.
Open shelves and custom closet systems were added. A chalkboard for writing love letters to each other and a desk suitable for note-taking became part of the decor when the couple relocated from Athens to the community south of Atlanta.
“We really wanted to know that we had a warm and comforting and welcoming home that our friends could come to,” Walsh said.
Snapshot
Residents: Brandon Blanchard and Stephanie Walsh and their dogs, Tucker and Miles. Blanchard is regional operations director for Outback Steakhouse; Walsh owns Streamline — Organized by Design
Location: Serenbe community, Chattahoochee Hills
Size: About 2,700 finished square feet (plus 800 unfinished in the basement); three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths
Year built and bought: 2012
Builder: Martin Dodson
Architectural style: Modern farmhouse
Favorite architectural elements: The beam in the main living space, which was structurally necessary and is encased with 100-year-old barn wood from north Georgia, and the sliding 5-foot-long barn door, which was handmade. In the bathroom and for the fireplace surround, stucco was used to create a "concrete" look and add texture.
Interior design style: Modern organic, leaning toward transitional. A natural pebble stone that Walsh saw on Pinterest and selected for the master bathroom was the impetus for the design, she said.
Favorite interior design details: Organic elements including barn wood and natural stone, and handmade pieces including a dining table, side tables, outdoor swing, light fixtures and soy candles.
Favorite outdoor feature: Stone on the entrance and the screened porch, which has a custom-made swing.
Favorite appliance: Miele espresso machine/coffee maker
Favorite eco-friendly features: Smaller lot and eco-friendly features, including geothermal systems and being wired for solar panels, appealed to them. The Bosch Geothermal unit helps save money on heating/cooling the house and ensures their Earth Craft-certified home has a smaller impact on the environment, she said. Serenbe also is walkable, with green spaces where residents frequently gather and proximity to restaurants and shops. "It's just a magical place when you pull in there. You can instantly see the sense of community," Walsh said.
Favorite artwork: Photographs by Ali Harper, Matthew Mayes and Greg Newington
Resources: California Closets, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Scott Antique Market, Twig, Bobo Intriguing Objects, Shades of Light, Smith and Noble, Southern Cabinet Works, Zumpano Enterprises, TJ Maxx, Overstock.com, Thermador
Decor tip: Accent with as many locally and/or handmade items and take a "high-low" approach to decorating. "I believe in investing in pieces you want to keep forever and having lower cost items," Walsh said. For example, a rug in the office and drapes on the main living area were deals from Overstock.com while the couple invested in handcrafted pieces and items such as grass-cloth wall coverings from Phillip Jefferies and a designer collection tub from MTI.
About the Author
