Interior designer Alison Baker celebrates her clients’ love of bright, bold, playful color and pattern in the couple’s Homewood condo.
My clients wanted something that you would find in a New York brownstone or on the Gold Coast in Chicago—something different, bright, and really outside their comfort zone,” says Alpharetta-area interior designer Alison Baker. She was happy to oblige by leaning into her longtime clients’ love of color, pattern, and art that extols both in spades. Inside the couple’s 1,900-square-foot Hallman Hill condo in Homewood, several notable pieces of their pop art collection shine, including the one hanging above the living room fireplace that inspired the home’s adventurous palette. Alison’s savvy use of hues, as well as several key changes in the floor plan and finish materials, gave her empty-nest clients a comfortable, simplified—yet personality-filled—place.
Preparing the Envelope
“My wife and I prefer bigger spaces, not more spaces,” the homeowner says. “Alison took this chopped-up place that reminded us of an apartment and gave it an open, airy feel by removing a kitchen peninsula and rethinking the primary bath configuration.” Other changes included installing hardwood flooring throughout, new custom kitchen cabinetry, and a cased opening over the sink. The 12-foot-long, wall-to-wall dining banquette and a new, limestone fireplace surround in the living room elevated the overall feel.
The primary bath was not only reconfigured but also received some major materials upgrades. “We re-tiled the shower and added niches and new fixtures with body sprays,” the owner says. “The suite’s large closet is now outfitted with custom cabinetry in the same quality as the rest of house.”
Perfecting the Palette
Favorite art pieces by New York artist Ashley Longshore drove the color scheme. “The living room piece with its crisp, citrus-orange backdrop and colorful butterflies was an easy launching ground,” Alison says. She then mixed modern silhouettes upholstered in faux leathers, velvets, and chenilles. To remedy the lack of windows in the kitchen, she added a custom, gold-leaf, mirrored wall to reflect light into the space. Along with bringing that much-needed infusion of light, the designer fulfilled the desires of her repeat clients with flying colors.
“Your home should be part of the storybook that tells about you. It amazes me when I complete a home to see how my clients’ personalities flourish. They seem happier, and they tend to entertain more.”
— Interior designer Alison Baker
Meet Alison Baker
Design background: “I was born and raised in Southern California. When I was young, I would rearrange my bedroom about every six months and ask for a new wall color and bedding. As I got older, I started moving all the living room furniture around. It was always a surprise when my parents came home from work. I followed my passion and graduated from Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach in 1992. My husband and I moved to Atlanta in 1993, and I opened up a retail store (Accentrics) with my mom and sister-in-law a year later. My design business is located within our brick-and-mortar store.”
Best advice: “Choose what you love, not what Instagram or Pinterest suggests. Don’t be swayed by trends, ever! Your home is where you start and end your day. If you are not surrounded by all things beautiful, then your life will reflect that.”
How to make it yours: “I always look to my clients’ personal style and personality and to colors that they look and feel good in. This is what makes each job unique as I tend not to repeat palettes or selections.”
Favorite product: “I love all of the performance fabrics available now. That industry has grown leaps and bounds. It’s difficult not to use it everywhere because it is so practical.”
Favorite place to shop: “Easy—my family-owned retail store, Accentrics Design in Johns Creek, Georgia.” accentrics-home.com;
IG: @accentricsdesign
Lighten up: In a room or along a wall without windows, mirrors bounce light into dark spaces. Consider a wall covered in tile-like mirrors like the one in the kitchen. (Mirror tiles from Mirror-tique, Birmingham.)
