Photos of Decatur Historic District craftsman green renovation

Private Quarters

Photos: Inviting Decatur Historic District craftsman goes green

A simple design and thorough planning is all it takes to create a green home, according to homeowner and builder Carl Seville.

"We really don't have a lawn, it's all regional and native plants so we don't have to mow the lawn, no fertilization, and no irrigation," said homeowner Carl Seville. The lack of grass on their lot is another way that Carl and his wife Kate have a more energy efficient and environmentally friendly home. Instead of a lawn, his wife Kate Seville worked with master gardener Sherry Kennedy to find interesting plants that would do well in their shady lot, on which they built their 2,646-square-foot home in 2017.

Architect Thomas Hood designed an open carport in place of a garage for Carl and Kate Sevilleâs Decatur home. This satisfied Historic District rules about how large enclosed buildings can be, but it also provided the couple with a great space for outdoor parties.

Kate and Carl Seville built their home in the Decatur Historic District in 2017. Kate is a project manager, and Carl is a green building consultant. As such, Carl was able to make sure their home was very energy efficient and fit the standards of the Decatur Historic District.

Red bentwood chairs from homeowner Carl Sevilleâs parents along with a table and chairs set from a garage sale create a comfy place to eat or sit on his screened-in porch. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers/Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Art by Lea Ann Slotkin through Trinity Mercantile & Design is a colorful and elegant centerpiece to the sitting area in Kate Sevilleâs upstairs office. Custom window treatments with Rose Cumming fabric give the room warmth while the sleeper sofa by Vanguard Furniture, also through Trinity Mercantile & Design, creates a great place to relax. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers/Atlanta Journal Constitution.

To keep cooling costs low, Carl and Kate Seville limited the number of windows in their Decatur home. To add light and interest, they accented their master bedroom with curtains in fabric from Lewis and Sheron Textiles by Mary Dwan through Trinity Mercantile & Design and a custom wall strie finish by Mary Frances Paints. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers/Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Homeowners Kate and Carl Seville worked with Andrew T Crawford Ironworks, who created a beautiful climbing sculpture on the west facing side of their home. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers/Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Kate Sevilleâs office is one of her favorite rooms in her Decatur home. As a project manager who has worked from home for more than a decade, itâs been important for her to have a designated space to work, but the cozy room also works as an upstairs den where Kate and her husband Carl Seville will sometimes watch TV before bed. Text by Shannon Dominy. Photo by Reynolds Rogers/Atlanta Journal Constitution.

The screened-in porch of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs Decatur home is one of their favorite spaces in the house. Surrounded by vegetation and equipped with fans to keep it cool, the porch is a retreat even on hotter days. The couple likes to serve appetizers on the porch when they entertain or spend an evening reading on the teak furniture by Kingsley Bate.

Homeowner Kate Seville appreciates the jupe table by Theodore Alexander through Trinity Mercantile & Design in her dining room because itâs roundness encourages conversation and the fact that it expands makes it perfect for holding dinner parties. Drapes in the dining room bring in the earthy vibes that Kate appreciates, and a silhouette by folk artist R. A. Miller gives a touch of eclectic flair.

A custom âHankâs Variety Storeâ sign by artist Nathan Tavel hangs in the mudroom of Carl and Kate Sevilleâs home. The color of the sign highlights colors in the bench cushion by Robert Allen Design.

When Carl and Kate Seville moved into their Decatur Historic District home after building it in 2017 they decided to combine their collection of old family photos, frame them all in black frames, and make a gallery wall of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents in the upstairs hall.

The garden painting in Kate and Carl Sevilleâs hall was done by artist Suzie Baker. âI just loved that piece,â said Kate. âI thought âoh thatâs what Iâd like my garden to look like.ââ Kate lived in Japan for a year, and art from that time is arranged on the adjacent wall.

Hand painted ginkgo patterned walls by Mary Frances Paints set the tone in the downstairs bath of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs Decatur Historic District home. The couple decided to go with a painted pattern rather than wallpaper due to the moisture usually present in bathrooms. Towels from HomeGoods and a vintage rug add some color and softness to the space.

A winged chair in taupe and cream wool strie and a sage green chenille sofa by CR Laine Furniture arranged with a cane chair by Lexington Home Brands, all purchased through Trinity Mercantile & Design, create a cozy sitting area in the living room of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs Decatur home. The Sevilles worked with Lisa Turner of Trinity Mercantile & Design to decorate their newly built home in 2017.

Hand painted letters by artist Nathan Tavel mark fluted glass panels in the doors in the back hall of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs home.

âI tend to lean towards blues and greens,â said homeowner Kate Seville. âItâs a way of bringing nature into your house.â The sage sofa does just this, angled cozily towards the chairs in the living room to allow for conversation. Red and gold lamps from Port 68 through Trinity Mercantile & Design add a brighter hue to the space.

Art by Lea Ann Slotkin through Trinity Mercantile & Design hangs above the bed in Carl and Kate Sevilleâs cheery guest bedroom. A headboard and bedding from Kateâs daughterâs old bedroom add more color to the space, as do curtains, which were altered to fit the space by Mary Dwan through Trinity Mercantile & Design.

White tiles in the backsplash of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs kitchen provide a glossy backdrop for their beloved Bosch induction cooktop. âI have had to use electric stoves in the past, and I wasnât necessarily a big fan of them, but the induction cooktop I absolutely love,â said Kate.

In the master bathroom shower is imperial pearl marble by Pietra Antica, which is a tumbled marble rather than a shiny, polished stone.

Homeowners Kate and Carl Seville knew they wanted the island in their kitchen to be inviting and warm so that it would be a gathering place when they entertained, and so they chose a walnut countertop by Arteriors through Trinity Mercantile & Design instead of a glossy countertop material. The perimeter counters are soapstone, also by Arteriors, and the cabinets are painted in mizzle by Farrow & Ball.

A chair from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams topped with a handmade pink silk pillow from Trinity Mercantile & Design go with the cheery atmosphere in Carl and Kate Sevilleâs guest bedroom. The rug, by Capel Rugs at Trinity Mercantile & Design, acts as a key element to draw all of the lovely colors of the space together.

Hints of deep red can be found throughout the decor of Kate and Carl Sevilleâs home, like the red in this footstool, upholstered in antique kilim, and bench cushion, made with
Robert Allen fabric, both sourced through Trinity Mercantile & Design. Red is one of Kateâs favorite colors, and she enjoys finding ways to subtly include it in her decor.

Kate and Carl Seville decided to go with darker tones and a more masculine vibe in their master bathroom, using matte soapstone counters and dark wood.

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"We really don't have a lawn, it's all regional and native plants so we don't have to mow the lawn, no fertilization, and no irrigation," said homeowner Carl Seville. The lack of grass on their lot is another way that Carl and his wife Kate have a more energy efficient and environmentally friendly home. Instead of a lawn, his wife Kate Seville worked with master gardener Sherry Kennedy to find interesting plants that would do well in their shady lot, on which they built their 2,646-square-foot home in 2017.

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