Comfortably Modern

DESIGN BY JOHN ISHMAEL AND JOHNA JAMISON, NANDINA ATLANTA PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELLY MARSHALL SCHMIDT

Adapting your design aesthetic to a lifestyle change is a challenge that most of us have to confront at some time in our lives. When we first met this single male homeowner, he made it clear how much he loves modern interiors but still wants a warm inviting home that reflects his fun-loving style. His living arrangements were on the cusp of a big change because he and his girlfriend had just made the decision to start living together in his home. When he reached out to Nandina he was ready to make his contemporary home more reflective of his casual lifestyle. He had stayed true to a modern interior but felt that overall, his home lacked warmth and color. He and his girlfriend enjoy entertaining friends and family, but they repeatedly emphasized that they prefer informal fun gatherings to formal dinners or cocktail parties. As a personal trainer with a flourishing fitness business he had converted the basement to a gym and worked from home, therefore, his actual private living space needed to provide an escape where he could go to unwind and revive.

Based on our client’s social lifestyle we immediately converted a formal living room into a casual “whiskey room” complete with a button-tufted custom-designed banquet. The multiple gold pendants hung at various heights in front of the blue velvet tufted banquet add a nightclub lounge vibe. The dining room showcases a modern glass-top table while the citron green dining chairs infuse a youthful element of fun into the design.

An upstairs bedroom became an office when his girlfriend moved in, but adding a pullout sofa still allowed the room to flex and become a guestroom when needed. A rich green accent wall, tufted ottomans and drapery with a modern playful pattern added a feminine touch to the room without straying from the style of the home.

The sophisticated master bedroom showcases a beautiful blend of a sleek dark modern bedframe and bedside tables that are softened by boldly pattern drapes and richly textured upholstery, rugs, and bedding. A soothing oasis of tone-on-tone greys, white and charcoal. This home is perfectly modern, yet comfortably inviting.

BEHIND

the design

This project is a great example of how color and texture can soften and bring to life the sometimes hard lines of modern interiors. The use of brightly colored accent walls, bold art, creative lighting, and richly textured textiles added warmth and character to this client’s home. By designing a full wall tufted banquet in blue velvet and using it as a backdrop for a display of pendants, we were able to create a club style “whiskey room” that reflected this client’s love of casual entertaining. In the master bedroom the moody modernism was softened with the use of pattern and textiles that were warm and inviting – such as richly textured grey boucle chairs, and floor to ceiling drapery with a bold geometric pattern. Scan to view more of my work.

Throughout the design, textiles were used to add warmth and color to add character, providing a modern aesthetic that is richly layered and reflective of our client's personality.