There comes a time in life when downsizing may become inevitable, however for one Atlanta couple, this didn’t mean compromising on elegance. When moving to a newly constructed high-rise building, the wife worried she would have to leave behind the “familiar faces” of antiques and accessories she had collected for her stately Georgian home, fearing they would be unsuitable in more contemporary surroundings. Yet after visiting a show house at the St. Regis in Buckhead designed by Patricia McLean, she realized her treasures could fit into a different environment. McLean was promptly hired for the job.
McLean’s first order of business was to take inventory of the owners’ furnishings, editing pieces that couldn’t be accommodated due to scale and smaller square footage and identifying gaps that needed to be filled in – mostly art, a few accessories, and a chair here and there. Existing furniture was reupholstered using luxurious, natural fabrics with beautiful embellishments and trims. Let’s take a look inside! Photography by John O’Hagan and text by Karen Carroll for the July/August 2017 issue of Southern Home magazine.
In the living room, Patricia McLean used a soothing palette of green to envelop the homeowners’ refined collection of furnishings and art and to echo the verdant views from their high-rise apartment.
Graphic painted stripes bring color to the entry. A portrait of the couple’s daughters and an antique English console and wine cooler create a welcoming vignette.
The wife found many of the antiques during buying trips to Europe.
The homeowners’ love for flowers is showcased in the dining room through antique porcelains that fill built-in cabinets and decorate the table. An antique tall case clock and an antique barometer serve as sculptural art in the space.
To bring the idea of a garden inside the 12th-floor apartment, McLean chose a hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper by de Gournay.
The same custom-mixed green paint color from the living room carries through many of the other main spaces.
The family room, where a Frederic Remington bronze occupies a key spot in the bookshelves, has a more masculine feel. The designer often uses children’s chairs to accommodate young family members.
Window treatments in a checked fabric by Schumacher frame the view.
A terrace runs the length of the apartment.
The master suite is awash in Venetian blues.
McLean knew the wife would appreciate feminine details such as the ruched headboard and the scalloped edges on the Lee Jofa curtains. A pillow from B. Viz features antique gold embroidery from an ecclesiastical altar frontal in Belgium.
What an inspiration! To learn more about Patricia McLean, please visit her website and Instagram. I also featured her work here. You can follow Southern Home on Instagram and subscribe to the magazine, which has quickly become a favorite, here.
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As high rise living goes, this is probably the best that can be had. Just out of curiosity, I looked up high rises in Buckhead, and was astounded at how many there were. I lived in Atlanta in the early 80s and Buckhead had hardly any tall buildings. Sad to think that the whole complexion of that neighbourhood could be changed, simply because it was the best part of town. They couldn’t build more houses, so they went vertical. It’s just not the same now. Too commercial looking.
The fenestration and finishes in this flat are much nicer than usual, and the built-ins really add a lot. And it’s so nice to have a fireplace, although I don’t understand raising it off the ground like that.
Patricia did a wonderful job putting everything together. Wish I could see the gris-verte wall colour a bit better. My monitor shows it as grey, but I’m assuming it’s that wonderful 18th century French green that is so elegant. I once took paint chips to the Metropolitan Museum to try to match the gris-verte in one of the period rooms. The guards got a bit nervous, but when I explained, they were quite nice about it. P.S. I couldn’t match it.
This is a beautiful apartment that has such a calm elegance. I loved how all of the out of favor classic “brown” antiques look in this aerie and not in a granny chic way either. Though I personally am a fan of granny chic. Side note this story also dovetails with Cote De Texas’ post this week about downsizing from a large house to an apartment.
I love the scalloped edges of the Lee Jofa curtains!