A fabulous white kitchen

This beautiful white kitchen was designed by Frank Neely, with interior design by Whitehaven. It was part of a whole house renovation completed last year. The kitchen is pleasant to be in and work in - form and function blending perfectly.

The combination of thick honed white marble counters and backsplash, brown ceiling beams, gray island base, and warm white cabinets creates an inviting and peaceful environment.

We had the lantern over the island custom made here in Atlanta. The finish has the gray, silver and brown colors found in other elements of the kitchen. The finish on the handles and pulls in the kitchen is a matte metal finish which ties in nicely with the lantern and beams.

We love this beautiful kitchen! Click on any image to enlarge.

ADAC is opening its doors to the public!

GO BEHIND THE DESIGN AT ATLANTA DECORATIVE ARTS CENTER

For the First Time Since its 1961 Opening, ADAC Opens Doors to General Public

ATLANTA – Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC), the 550,000 square foot interior design product showroom facility located in the heart of Buckhead, will open its doors to the community on Monday, October 1. The change will be marked by two weeks of events and special programming. The distinguished design center has been an invaluable resource to the design community for more than 50 years, and by opening to a larger audience, ADAC will bring to light the exceptional products their showrooms have to offer and the benefits of working with professional interior designers.

“Until now, only licensed design professionals have been able to access and take advantage of our showroom facility,” said Katie Belveal, ADAC General Manager. “By giving a peek behind our curtain, if you will, more design enthusiasts will be able to experience ADAC and create that lifestyle at home or elsewhere.”

Discover ADAC will consist of two weeks of events designed to educate guests on the showrooms, products and process of working with a design professional. Events include lifestyle panel discussions with Atlanta tastemakers, designer presentations and meet-and-greets, book signings, individual showroom activities, and “ADAC – Behind the Windows.” There will also be a grand opening cocktail party on Thursday, October 4, co-sponsored by Atlanta Magazine and crafted by Tony Conway of Legendary Events. The excitement continues in November with soon to be announced events and partnerships.

Whether planning to design a home or office space, or just looking to get inspired, guests can visit ADAC and browse the 1,200 product lines represented in its showrooms, many of which are exclusive to ADAC. Design enthusiasts will find a wealth of resources within ADAC to learn about the process of hiring and working with a designer who will assist you in creating the environment that best suits your needs and lifestyle. The on-site offices of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and International Interior Design Association (IIDA) are available to all visitors who are seeking the expertise of a design professional.

“There is an energy and excitement amongst everyone in the ADAC showrooms for this upcoming event,” added Belveal. “The management team, along with participating designers, believes this is a great benefit to the design community and those who now have the opportunity to access these resources.”

A full calendar of events is available at www.adacatlanta.com/events.

About ADAC: ADAC is a community-focused, nationally-recognized leader in the world of interior design and home fashion, built over 50 years ago by renowned architect and developer John Portman. For a half-century it has served as the essential one-stop shopping resource for interior designers, architects, and builders.

The ADAC campus consists of 550,000 square feet with over 60 showrooms offering 1,200 of the industry’s finest product lines including furniture, fabric, rugs, lighting, accessories, floor and wall coverings, antiques, fine art and framing, kitchens, bath, tile and stone, and home theater products. Likewise, ADAC’s extensive services include custom designs such as framing, electronic systems, faux-finishing, and draperies.

In addition, signature industry presentations, celebrity and media events, educational programs and networking opportunities held throughout the year make ADAC truly a one-of-a-kind, design destination. To learn more, visit www.adacatlanta.com

Facebook.com/AtlantaDecorativeArtsCenter | Twitter.com/ADACatlanta

Summer Market Soiree at Huff Harrington Home

Happy Fourth of July!

image via decorpad

From the Archives...Beach house kitchens

image via Southern Living




It's summer, and many of us have the beach on our minds. If you were building/planning a beach house, what would the kitchen look like? Colorful or white, sleek or cottagey? Here are some images that I collected of beach house kitchens. Many of the images below are white kitchens with a shot of color (either floor, back splash or accessories)- a fun way to liven up any kitchen.


image via decor pad

The blue pantry door (a former screen door) makes the kitchen - all of the fun elements flow from that door.

image via Coastal Living


image via decor pad

Blue just seems so appropriate at the beach...

Images above and below via Coastal Living

The green painted floor is pretty and fun. And how about the retro pink appliances in the image below this one?






I used to have green cabinets like this in a former kitchen - it was very soothing.





image from Country Living


image via Southern Accents, Suzanne Kasler kitchen


image via Marley and Lockyer blog

Love the whimsical words on the wall.

image via wisedecor

Two islands are always useful for a crowd!

image via furniture store blog

This last kitchen is eye popping red - looks great with the blue from the ocean!
images via Coastal Living.





So, what kind of kitchen would you design for your own beach house?

From the Archives...Brookgreen Gardens

Dionysus, by Edward Francis McCartans, 1936

Anna Hyatt Huntington was a largely self taught sculpter who grew up in a family of scientists who studied animals. From a young age she was fascinated by and loved to study animals too. She did study sculpture later under Herman MacNeil and Guzton Borglum at the Art Students League of New York.

Anna and Archer Huntington built these gardens around the idea of having a large American figurative sculpture collection at Brookgreen Gardens, especially those pieces that could be situated in an outdoor setting. And of course the collection was built around Anna's own sculpture. Today at Brookgreen there are over 1200 sculptures by 350 artists - from the 19th century to the 21st century. Here are a few photos of some of my favorites.


Diana of the Chase, Anna Hyatt Huntington


Alligator Bender, Nathaniel Choate


Christ Child, Adam Belskie


Riders of the Dawn, Adolph Alexander Weinman


Inspired by Psalm 139


Samuel and the Lion


Reaching Jaguar, Anna Hyatt Huntington




The Vortex


all photos via Whitehaven

Ferrell Gardens, Gardens of Hills and Dales, LaGrange Georgia

Ferrell Gardens, on the grounds of Hills and Dales, LaGrange, Georgia

The garden attached to Hills and Dales is known as Ferrell Gardens and has been planted as a formal garden since the 1830's. The land was bought by Mickelberry and Nancy Ferrell in 1832 and the garden plans begun. By the 1840's the gardens were established and were being cared for by the Ferrells' daughter, Sarah, and her husband Blount. They built a house on the land at the high point of the property. The gardens were a natural extension of the house. Sarah Ferrell turned the gardens into a gardener's paradise and people came from all over the South to see Sarah's boxwood plantings. She planted them in many fanciful and beautiful patterns - one area spells GOD and another is planted to resemble a harp and another is a church garden, a sanctuary.

Boxwoods spelling GOD

The church garden, here and below

Map of the gardens, from the Hills and Dales materials

Union troups marched through LaGrange in 1862, but Ferrell Gardens was not harmed. Sarah tended the gardens until her death in 1903. Her husband tried to keep up the gardens after her death, but they were not the same without Sarah. Blount Ferrell died in 1908 and the gardens were untended until 1911 when Fuller Callaway Sr bought the property. Mr Callaway remembered playing in the gardens as a boy - Sarah and Blount Ferrell had always let the gardens be open to the public for all to enjoy.

In 1913 the Callaways hired Hentz and Reid, Architects from Atlanta to design a house for the site. The house was to placed on the same site as the Ferrell house. It was designed in the Italian Georgian villa style. The house was renamed Hills and Dales when the Callaways moved into their new house in 1916. Ida Callaway cared for the gardens for her entire life and so did Alice Callaway, who lived there with her husband Fuller Jr (after the death of Fuller Sr and his wife Ida). All of the women who have lived on this land have been mesmerized by its beauty and have tended and cared for the gardens. Alice Callaway began each day with notes in her gardening book about what the day's labor would be. After Alice Callaway's death in 1998 the house and grounds were left to the Callaway Foundation and were meant to be enjoyed by all. A restoration was begun and the house opened to the public in 2004. You can see Alice's gardening room and notebook there. More information here.