Charmed

A young designer restores the integrity of his 1930's Craftsman bungalow. Story by Kelly Kunkel    Photography by Mali Azima    Produced by Clinton Ross Smith

When interior designer Kelley Harris first decided to buy a place of his own upon his return to Atlanta following college, he thought he wanted a maintenance-free space where he could kick up his feet-no yard to mow or roof to repair-which led him toward a high-rise condo. But as he did his research, Harris realized that any renovations he'd want to make to a condo in his price range, not to mention steep association fees, would break his bank.

 
After months of scouring the city with his Realtor for the perfect home, he found it: a two-bedroom, two-bath 1930's Craftsman bungalow in the Westside, just the thing for the designer and his new kitten, Linus. Renovated in 1998, the house was generally in good condition, but there were some key elements Harris wanted to change, without sacrificing the house's natural charm-a small but manageable kitchen, a "drive-through" window, and unlevel floors to name a few. But less than six months after buying his home, the renovation-inclined designer, who works for country club design firm Ferry, Hayes and Allen, had finished all the renovations. "Even though I changed a few things from my original plan, I'm completely happy with how it all turned out," Harris says. "Sometimes people my age are afraid to buy a home, but my advice would be to just do it."

Kelley Harris
A hand-stitched Pennsylvania quilt hung from the ceiling doubles as art in the dining room. Harris, a designer, completed the renovation of his bungalow within six months.

Bring on the Charm
The house features a stylish mix of old and new. Harris designed the cocktail table and had it fabricated to his specifications. Vintage ceramic lamp, Antiques & Beyond, (404) 872- 4342. The painting is by local artist Billy Bailey. Framing
by Caroline Budd's Picture Framing, (404) 872-8446. Area rug, Myers Carpet, (404) 352-8141. Paint color: Middlebury Brown (HC-68) by Benjamin Moore.

Keep Your Cool
Harris' cat, Linus, lies in his favorite spot-the cool, marble-topped table.
"I salvaged the base from a butcher-block table at Scott's Antique Market and then had a piece of white carrera marble custom-made for the top," he says. Above the 19th-century sideboard, Harris framed a series of floorplans from circa-1850 New York homes. Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost chairs and Ferruccio Laviani's Icon Pendant light fixture, Design Within Reach, (404) 841-2471.

Return to its Roots
"I would've loved to change the layout of the kitchen, but that's not the character of the house," says Harris. To maximize the space, he added custom cabinetry, a bar and a second sink. The monochromatic scheme belies its actual size, while clean-lined cabinets and stainless-steel appliances keep from overwhelming. Cabinets, custom, Peak Carpentry & Design, (404) 786-1063. Cabinet hardware, VanDykes, vandykes.com. Ceramic tile, Ceramic Technics, (770) 740-0050. Paint color on cabinets: Nantucket Gray (HC-111)
by Benjamin Moore.

Leveling out
After pricing carpenters for the cabinetry in the kitchen, Harris discovered the floors weren't level-by almost 2 inches, which brought him to carpenter John Stevens. "[John] had done a lot of historic revivals, so I felt confident that he would preserve the integrity of my home," he says. Stevens designed and built the cabinets and remedied the floors within Harris' budget.

The Coke Side of Life
The Coca-Cola sign is vintage. Custom headboard, Drapes & More, (404) 685-8585. Lamps, Stanton Home Furnishings, (404) 586-9000. Paint color: Galveston Gray (AC-27) by Benjamin Moore.