Around town with
ILLUSTRATION BY MEREDITH GILLESPIE
Naomi Von Habersham PERHAPS I OUGHT NOT TO MENTION IT, but we’re in the throes of an election year, and if the past few months are any indication, the coming year is going to be acrimonious to say the least. Although we may not always agree on politics, there is one area of commonality that many Atlantans share, and that is our love of design. I would argue that not only is Atlanta one of the most design-savvy cities in the country, it is also one of the least aesthetically dogmatic. Traditional, contemporary and all of those decorative points of view between the two are well-represented here, and even though each of us may feel strongly about one style over another, I have yet to see a fistfight break out over differences in decorating. Take color, for example. Decades ago, most Atlanta homes were awash in rich colors, from sunny yellows to regal reds. Later, color was somewhat banished from the scene and designers and their clients embraced neutral color palettes that were mostly creams and taupes. But today, there isn’t any one color scheme that is deemed more acceptable than another, and you only have to look at the pages of this magazine to see that. From pale to vivid tones, Atlantans are embracing almost every color—and noncolor—under the rainbow. The same goes for fabrics. Floral chintzes are creeping back into some interiors, perhaps to the chagrin of the modernists. On the flip side, sleek, contemporary textiles—usually in those shades of gray that the traditionalists find so chilly—are finding favor in other homes. And yet, these diverse looks all manage to coexist peacefully. Even our city’s designers, who have such distinctive styles, manage to get on famously—so much so that Atlanta’s tight-knit design community is the envy of other cities. Now, I’m not going to minimize the importance of this election by comparing it to the state of Atlanta design, but in these topsy-turvy times, it’s a comfort to know that when it comes to decorating, our motto is: Vive la différence.
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