An impressive coffee-table book stack and a horn.

Whitney Durham waved her magic design wand to turn an ’80s Cape Cod-style home from an untouchable antique into a thoughtfully curated and livable home for a family of six.

After 20 years of residing in Buckhead, a partner in one of Atlanta’s white-shoe firms and his wife, a writer, decided to move their family of six to the select neighborhood of North Valley in Milton. Following the couple to the new home were two dogs, four kids, an arsenal of family heirlooms and a very active lifestyle. When the home hunters stumbled upon a Cape Cod-style house seated atop a double lot of 5 acres, they moved to homeowner status. The search was over. However, the interior’s outdated fashion and excessive formality betrayed its 1985 roots.

The formal dining room features a chandelier from Circa Lighting and fabrics by Schumacher.

Soon, the homeowners tapped designer Whitney Durham for the project. The 7,500-square-foot complete interior renovation was underway with a to-do list to bring the vision to life. Durham needed to infuse livability into the formal aesthetic, taking into account every nook and cranny, from coating the hardwood floors with a new stain to flipping the attic into an extra bedroom to transforming the ambiance with Circa Lighting and seating throughout the spaces. What made the designer selection even more ideal was Durham’s ability to seam together contemporary with a store of eclectic and traditional antiques, rugs and paintings, of which the family had plenty.

To ensure that the makeover would shed its ’80s feel, “we eliminated internal columns that were separating the breakfast room and living room to give the home a more current and open floor plan. We also widened some of the room casings in the kitchen,” says Durham. “We lightened the exterior paint color a few shades and painted the shudders and updated all of the lighting throughout the house.” Once a fresh look was coherent within the space, it became a matter of details and decor. “The home’s Cape Cod architectural style was filled with an abundance of beautiful family heirlooms, distinct treasures and an array of art my clients collected from their travels around the globe,” says Durham. “I personally love for a home to feel curated over time and filled with pieces that are a great balance of ‘high and low,’ ‘new and old.’”

Abstract painting by Elaine Burge paired with custom lampshades painted by artist Sally King Benedict.

The wet bar gets a refresh with bright wallpaper and cabinetry.

The powder room features a statement-making wallpaper by Schumacher.

DETAILS

TYPE
Single-family home

LOCATION
Milton

INTERIOR DESIGNER
Whitney Durham,
Whitney Durham Interiors
whitneydurham.com

RESOURCES

CIRCA LIGHTING
Keeping room ceiling fixtures, foyer interior and exterior lights, library shelving lights
circalighting.com

CLASSIC HOME
Upstairs hall sideboard cabinet, great room leather chairs
classichome.com

ELAINE BURGE
Living room art
elaineburge.com

THE ELLENBURG CHAIR COMPANY
Keeping room sofas, living room club chairs
ellenburgchair.com

MADE GOODS
Living room side table
madegoods.com

MYERS CARPET
Foyer custom stair runner, carpet myerscarpetatlanta.com

SCHUMACHER
Dining room and powder bath wallpaper, dining room drapery fabric
fschumacher.com