Tag Archives: modern atlanta homes

a wing-roofed home in atlanta for dwell mag

03.15.15

Sarvis_02 — The Sarvis residence designed by Dencity. Photo by Raftermen Photography.

Dwell, a favorite shelter magazine, just published about 200 words by yours truly. I covered a wing-roofed Atlanta home with cantilevered sections that appears ready for flight. You can read the article and see six more photos here. Also, I toured the home in 2013 as part of Modern Atlanta and posted a roundup of my favorite design moments here.

Finally contributing to Dwell feels like closing a circle, because I’ve been a fan since my old roommate PJ gave me my first issue in 2002, when I was writing a craft book. The modern interiors gave me a direction for Abode a la Mode’s “cheap chic” projects, and the magazine has been shaping my personal aesthetic ever since.

modern ‘hood: lavista park, atlanta

02.18.15

Design, Vintage Style

LaVista Park may have bumped Northcrest as my favorite atomic neighborhood in Atlanta. Why? Location, location, location! While Northcrest has more Brady Bunch-style ranches per block, it’s up in the sleepy suburb of Doraville. LaVista Park, sandwiched between busy Briarcliff and Cheshire Bridge Roads, is a short drive or bike ride to some of the best restaurants, shops, and parks in central Atlanta. Here are 8 midcentury and contemporary abodes that caught my eye on an afternoon drive. All photos were taken by me while standing on public property.

click to see 5 more modern homes!

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curvy new landscape for our boxy lustron

10.13.14

Design

For nine years, our Lustron has needed curb appeal like leafy greens need ranch. Last month we worked with Plants Creative Landscapes here in Decatur to finally put some “ranch dressing” on our bland front yard.

Lustron home before landscape makeover; photo by finelycrafted.net — Scraggly gardenias were hiding the porch, and the linear layout didn’t complement our boxy home.

Landscaping at Lustron home; photo by finelycrafted.net — Curvy beds, sculptural plants, and boulders bring SoCal style!

Since the bones of our ’49 prefab are slick and boxy, we created softness with three curvy beds. Taking inspiration from all those modern landscapes I’ve been ogling on trips to Southern California, I picked a topiary pine, a blue agave, and boulders as my must-have focal points. We filled out the beds with shrubs for year-round color (wintergreen boxwood, variegated yucca, gold mop false cypress), sculptural perennials (variegated iris, autumn ferns), vivid grasses (blue fescue, dwarf acorus, silver liriope), and cascaders for the retaining wall (chartreuse creeping jenny, pink-flowered phlox). Black bark mulch makes everything pop.

Click to see 7 more photos

modern ‘hood: morningside, atlanta

08.27.14

Design, Vintage Style

It’s hard to believe Atlanta’s first Morningside residents were isolated suburbanites who rode a streetcar to work downtown. Today this charming neighborhood is a haven in the heart of the city, surrounded by shopping districts, restaurants, and condos. The typical M’side home was built in the 1920s or 30s out of red brick and stone, with Old World details like arches, leaded glass, and even towers, like this one below.

Home in Morningside, Atlanta; photo by Finely Crafted — In Morningside, a man’s home *literally* may be his castle.

While I love those special châteaux, my heart beats faster for the rarer midcentury and new construction modern homes–sometimes barely glimpsed beyond ivy banks and mature trees–on the hilly streets branching off East Rock Springs Road. They range from humble ranchers to custom contempos worthy of Dwell. Here are 10 of my favorites spotted on yesterday’s afternoon drive. All photos were taken by me from public property.

Modern home in Morningside, Atlanta; photo by Finely Crafted — I toured this 2013 home on Wellbourne Drive as part of Modern Atlanta in June. In contrast to the serious facade, the inside is warm, light soaked, and personal.

Midcentury home in Morningside, Atlanta; photo by Finely Crafted — Genius idea for typography fans

Modern home in Morningside, Atlanta; photo by finelycrafted.net — I like mixing foliage colors in my own yard, but a single green against a neutral facade is beautiful too.

Midcentury modern home in Morningside, Atlanta; photo by Finely Crafted — I like the little courtyard created by this home’s C shape.

Midcentury ranch in Morningside, Atlanta: photo by Finely Crafted — Peachy perfection

Click to see five more homes

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modern ‘hood: northcrest, atlanta

10.15.12

Design, Vintage Style

On a crisp day last week, Andrea and I took a break from our laptop pecking to explore Atlanta’s Northcrest subdivision. This modest midcentury modern neighborhood northeast of the city (zip 30340) is a feast for eyes that hunger for angular abodes and cacti gardens. Here are five homes that made me pull over and consider life in the ‘burbs.