Something about Mary.......Part one

Come with me as I share a sumptuous home that is European styled and delightfully quirky in Buckhead, Atlanta. The home of a treasured friend, Mary Bairstow, Interior Designer and "up-cycler" extraordinaire.

Don't you adore an exterior that is unique unto it's own?

When I first stood in this drive/courtyard, pea gravel and all........I had no idea what lied inside. The floor plan could not be imagined from the exterior. All the more intriguing.

foyer

Let's step inside, meet Mary and her home.

view looking slightly to the left and forward

Personally I adore authentic shutters, bringing them indoors in particular. A must is installing them with exterior hardware that pulls them away from the wall, creating shadows and depth of interest.

5th; Describe how you installed these beams?

Mary; The antique wood beams were originally from France. We removed the existing molding around the door and then cut the sheetrock into an arch to make it fit the opening from the foyer to the grand salon. European homes tend to have arched doorways minus any molding.

See that example again, below, where Mary removed molding and arched the doorways

foyer looking into the grand salon
The floor to ceiling windows lead onto an intimate courtyard. All the way back you can see a fireplace that was stripped and surrounded in limestone. Also the banister railing to the second floor is capped in limestone. And how about that door panel?!

Looking left, towards the dining room

Looking right, into the kitchen. Contemporary and graphic photography by Jeff Jones.

Mary loves black and white photography in a kitchen. You will notice thru-out her home she has "up-cycled" elements adding charm and patina.

5th; Tell us about the details in your kitchen

Mary: The cabinets were made from packaging for fiber optics that was shipped from Germany. We found the wood online, purchased it and then an artist friend finished the cabinets in the same patina as found on the arch surround in the foyer

Mary; The pantry doors were originally shutters from the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, NC. We mirrored them and as luck would have it, they fit perfectly. What's not to like about an off shade of pink with mirrors, in a kitchen!?

Kitchen looking onto foyer, into the dining room and opening into the grand salon
Personally I was intrigued with the picnic styled table as a cook top. Naturally I just had to peek underneath wondering where the lines were. Mary has them running inside a leg and into the floor. You have to really look to notice it.

As an aside she manufacturers and up-cycled all of the lighting in her home.

A 14th c shutter on the kitchen window had been in storage for years. In this home it too fit perfectly.

dining room
5th; What are your inspirations? Where are they found?
Mary: The original source was a trip to the south of France. I also love and absorb French publications like Cote Sud, Cote Paris, and their Elle Decor. I am inspired by world wide bloggers who bring forth beautiful design concepts. Additionally by contemporary art and travel; Mexico City, Venice for the 'Venice Bienneale' and Miami for 'Art Basel'.
5th; I know you are off to Cuba soon. Cannot wait to see how that influences your work

Displayed, is a fondness for African art

5th: What to you constitutes good design?
Mary; The primary elements are scale, texture, balance and the concept of Wabi-Sabi - seeing the hand of the maker

Foyer to kitchen and casual dining in the salon. Displayed is another photo by Jeff Jones

The living area looking back

Loved this floor lamp, guessing it was 6' tall. Here is another example of her up-cycling; an architectural fragment originally perched atop a building in Belgium, wire, add a massive drum shade and viola!

Now onto my favorite outdoor space, the courtyard. The genuine ambiance is indeed the south of France. I could not wait to share this!

The dripping vines, the pea gravel, the decorative elements. Notice that even the French doors added are vintage

The long views are borrowed; woods and ravines. In the evening imagine the lit candles, fragrance, great conversation, southern hospitality and French wine.........ahhhhhh. Who would second a design blogger meet up here?
Mary???!

Thank you Mary!

What do you think so far? I would love to hear your thoughts. But we are not finished. Part two includes my favorite room, the library and then the imaginative transformation in the bedrooms.

Care to reach Mary? Go to Mary Bairstow Design on Facebook, her Atelier studio or Scotts Antique Market in Atlanta, monthly.

Fondly,
Debra