ABOVE An outdoor swing from Southeastern Salvage adds a welcoming touch in the front yard.
For antiques lovers, there is nothing quite like the thrill of the hunt, unearthing those one-of-a-kind treasures that make spaces unique. Pam Evans, a spunky antiques dealer and decorator, knows how to pick them, and more importantly, how to edit her finds down to the choicest and chicest pieces. “I really do believe in less is more when given the proper scale of the pieces, ” says Pam. She also has an innate talent for buying an antique and turning it into something unexpected and exceptional. “I only buy things that stop me in my tracks and trip my trigger, ” she says with a laugh. “I love to take old things and incorporate them in a modern way.”
One such example is an antique French altar that Pam picked up at Maison de France in Leeds. After she sanded the green and orange paint off the base, topped it with soapstone, and anchored it to the floor, the altar was reborn as a sophisticated bar and serving surface. Pam’s gift for transforming things also explains the liturgical wall hanging in the dining room. “I was looking for something that wouldn’t compete with the wow-factor chandelier, which was already such a strong focal point, ” she says. So in came a French embossed stained-glass template from Paris–rolled up and unconsidered by others–that she discovered while antiquing. Pam had it mounted on canvas and encased in a custom iron frame. It hangs from the ceiling against sheer paneled curtains that line the dining room and other spaces throughout.
.png) ABOVE The gravel-filled side yard provides another entertaining space with its concrete table from Elegant Earth and drum stools from Pottery Barn. |
As far as color, Pam found her inspiration through Coco Chanel who believed in the power of the absence of color. Chanel once stated: “I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” And just like a classic Chanel suit, the home is judiciously accessorized and uncluttered. In the kitchen, a large antique gilt Italian cross is the only decoration of note, as is a grouping of three antlers in the outdoor room. The streamlined look does not require constant maintenance and provides ease from one room to the next. “I have the same messy stuff everyone else has, ” notes Pam. “I just have it all tucked away and out of sight. The design is full of storage for chaos control.”
Overall, Pam strived towards a classic look with a little edge. “It’s actually a bit more modern than I initially intended, ” she admits. “Sometimes you turn down a road and it takes you in an unexpected direction that you just have to embrace and keep on going.” Pam’s turn came when the white oak hardwood floors were installed and it was time to pick a stain. “At first, I wanted to leave them natural, but every sealing agent we tried gave the wood a pinkish tone, ” says Pam. “Instead, we decided to bleach the floors. That definitely elevated the modern vibe, so it made sense to bring a modern element into the décor and then balance it with antique pieces.”
Pam also made a point to intermix casual items with her more expensive finds. The outdoor room, where Pam, husband Donald, son Lawson, and friends chill and watch football, is ringed with Ikea chairs. Pottery Barn stools cozy up to the outdoor table. Even in the hallway, she chose Hobby Lobby frames to float cherished black-and-white photos. In turn, the house is much like Chanel’s little black dress—you can dress it up or dress it down, but it always looks in style.
ABOVE Each space has a carefully chosen element that makes it shine, such as the family room’s oversize mirror, created from antique molding discovered at The Nest.
ABOVE LEFT Sadie waits for guests in an entertaining area complete with a custom banquette offering extra dining space for large gatherings. The sculptural black stool is from Circa Interiors.
ABOVE RIGHT The dark walls of the guest bath offer a unique contrast to the light décor throughout the house.
ABOVE The large-scale chandelier Pam found at Circa Interiors sets the tone for the entire dining room décor. Chairs from Lee Industries through Circa Interiors gather around a dining table from Foxglove Antiques.
ABOVE LEFT White oak fluted cabinetry from MDM Design Studio brings subtle elegance to the kitchen, while swanky custom bar stools, a huge custom pendant light, and an antique Italian cross lend a dose of glamour. Honed Alabama White marble countertops and backsplash from Triton Stone continue the monochromatic theme.
ABOVE RIGHT A built-in bar sits at one end of the kitchen around the corner from the dining room, making access a breeze during parties.
ABOVE Pam refers to her custom furry bed as “a polar bear.” An extra-long lumbar pillow made from gold-patterned Fortuny fabric adds elegance to the white bed linens from Suite Dreams. Antique altar columns made into lamps and custom side tables add more gilt touches.
ABOVE LEFT Pam’s finesse at merging antiques with more modern pieces extends to the master bath with its Venetian mirror and chrome-legged stool. White marble mosaic floor tiles from Walker Zanger add pattern and interest to the otherwise serene space.
ABOVE RIGHT A gallery of cherished family photos lines the hallway to the master bedroom.
ABOVE The Evans crew uses the curtain-lined outdoor room year-round since it has a fireplace. A chandelier from Foxglove Antiques offers the right amount of evening light.
RESOURCES
Designer: Pam Evans Interiors• 404.643.9455 Residential design consultant: Brian Jernigan• 205.877.3831wmbrianjernigan.com Builder: Herman Watts – Watts Construction • 205.252.5848 Entertaining area: soapstone on the antique altar: Cottage Supply Co.• 205.458.0002 cottagesupplycompany.com Chairs: Verellen through Patina • 205.802.9802 Toss pillows: Verellen through PatinaLantern: Beverly Ruff Antiques• 205.871.7872 Kitchen appliances: Sub-Zerosubzero-wolf.com Range:La Cornue lacornueusa.com Floors: white oak Riverbottom Pine 205.261.8030 • riverbottompine.com Hand-painted pillows on dining chairs: Coleman Taylor Textiles Montgomery • 334.356.0330 colemantaylortextiles.com Fabric panels: Robert Allenrobertallendesign.comFamily room armchairs: Lee Industries through Circa• 206.868.9199 circainteriors.com Bathroom cabinets: MDM Design Studio • 205.458.0788 mdmdesignstudio.com Hardware: Brandino Brass • 205.978.8900 brandinobrass.com Fixtures: V&W Supply Co. • 205.324.9521 vwsupply.com
Text by Alice welsh doyle • Phography by jean allsopp
