When Mary Finch, Jeremy Corkern, and Lindsay Bierman host a designer tag sale, there’s no doubt that these tastemakers sell in style. Not only are the goods worth getting (afterall, most of the items are from the hosts’ personal collections), the effect is nothing short of a dinner party where friends congregate to mull over their own decorating ideas and learn the stories behind each enticing piece. Set in the English Village alley adjacent to Bates Corkern Studio, the trio threw a party of sorts, inviting friends to see their wares. A tent adorned with a floral arrangement by friend and interior designer Marcia Unger provided a festive venue while wine, water, and portable fans kept guests cool. Handwritten tags made items even more enticing: Rare! Fabulous! Great! Mid-century! Indeed the tent was stocked with everything from $10 candlesticks to a 19th-century Bergère chair. So how did this accumulation end up on the sidewalk?
“We’re all hoarders, and we all over-decorate, ” says Lindsay. “My taste and style has changed so much over the years. My things have moved from the house to the basement to storage units and back to my home again.” Lindsay’s favorite piece? A Second Empire chest (offered at $250) he’s had since his architecture school days in Virginia. “I was as bad then as I am now, ” he says. “I used to drive the rural countryside looking for pieces to decorate my dorm room. I go through this huge rotation all the time.”
Jeremy insists that his chaise lounge was the buy of the day (offered at $1, 800). “It’s the best bargain here, ” he says. “I paid much more than that. I just don’t have a place to put it, ” he laments.
Mary’s loss? A buoy from Bangkok—sold for a mere $25.
Despite their desire to rid themselves of their goods, these friends still couldn’t help themselves. Overheard at the sale: “Hey Jeremy, save that bowl of yours for me.”
Text by Cathy Still McGowin • Photography by Major Adam Colbert
1 Blueberries + Strawberries A blueberry bush underplanted with strawberries gives you vertical and trailing growth, says Jon. This combination of berries will bear fruit from spring to early summer, and will also provide a beautiful mix of bright colors perfect for the season.
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This 70’s ranch-style house had been unoccupied for several years. The renovation consisted of completely demolishing the interior, and three additions to the floor plan caused a complete re-configuration of the roof line. These additions took an outdated structure from mid-20th century drab to a refined home with 21st century amenities. 1, 200 square feet were added to the house in four areas: Garage, Master Suite, Office and Potting Room. Everything in this house was custom designed by the homeowner and builder. The kitchen has been renovated with a butt-join 1×6 ceiling, silver travertine floors, countertops in a rare granite with marble back splashes, and updated with Wolf appliances and Sub-Zero refrigerator. Custom cabinets were created by Cantley and Company. The main level flooring of the house is all reclaimed barn wood, as well as antique beams on the ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the covered porch. The ceiling of the porch is mushroom board, hemlock reclaimed from Amish mushroom barns. The master bath is all marble with a large walk-in closet..jpg)
This 3, 000 square foot colonial style home was in need of a major face lift. A complete demolition, upgrades of electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and 2, 500 square foot addition of family room, screened porch and garage was the perfect solution for this growing family of six. The kitchen includes custom cabinets, marble countertops with subway tile back splash. The 2, 500 square foot addition includes a two-car garage with an ample sized family room. French doors leading to a screened-in porch creates a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. Reclaimed wood was used for the flooring in the home. Topped off with new landscaping throughout the entire lot gives this home just the right amount of causal elegance..jpg)
When we are referred a client, we consider it a compliment to a job well done. When the owner of Beth Singletary Interiors, a decorator we have worked with on multiple projects asked us to create a master suite retreat, we considered it the ultimate compliment. These empty nesters had a desire to open up their master bathroom and create a separate dressing room off the bedroom. The owner wanted a seamless flow and look from the bedroom to the dressing room so it would feel like an extension of the room and not a walk in closet. In order to achieve this, a wall was opened up and the study next to the master bedroom was converted into a dressing room with custom cabinetry and antiqued mirrors. The bathroom was gutted, removing all interior walls to create an open footprint allowing for a separate shower and drop in tub with opposing his and her vanities. Travertine and Crema Marfil marble was used throughout, and the weathered oak vanities create a nice contrast to the neutral stone..jpg)
This newlywed couple bought their first home and wanted to make it their own. The first priority was to open up the kitchen into the adjacent dining and family rooms. The entire kitchen was gutted and the openings between the other two rooms were enlarged and new wood flooring was added. New cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops created an updated feel in the 1970s ranch-style home. They were able to check off the items on their wish list, such as added pantry storage while at the same time eliminating the walls that had separated the spaces. The kitchen even seems more open to the outside areas of the back deck and the screened-in porch.
This family spent 18 years making major additions and improvements. In this improvement, the dining wall was partially removed to create a peninsula space into the kitchen, while creating the new focal point of the cooktop and vent hood. The partial wall removal, new wood-look, porcelain tile floors and new windows set a nice background for the inset cabinets which were stacked to the nine-foot-high ceiling. The copper band on the massive wood hood was commissioned by a local artist and complements the accent tiles in the backsplash. The base cabinets are a rich, cherry wood, while the wall and tall cabinets are painted a soft mushroom color to match the exterior, topped with quartz countertops and crackle-glazed backsplash tile.
The kitchen was not only outdated, but the house was built in the 1980s and had a builder-grade thermafoil cabinet. This is a million-dollar home on Lake Martin and the primary residence for this retired couple. We gutted the kitchen and refinished the hardwood floors with multiple finish coats to protect the floors from living on the lake. The design of the original kitchen was tight and cramped. With the peninsula sticking out from the cooktop area, you were trapped in a small space all by yourself. The new design took the cabinets to the full 10 feet of the ceilings, allowing for much-needed storage. The bar was incorporated into the kitchen area, making it more user-friendly. The island is 108” long and 46” wide with storage under the seating side. This large island is now the heart of the kitchen.
This project takes the standard, suburban daylight basement build-out to new heights with a range of architectural details that make it a very special place for entertaining. Trayed ceilings and columns divide the large space into well proportioned areas for television, billiards, exercise, and bar. The texture and color of the stained concrete floors tie together the formal trim elements with the rustic fireplace which was crafted from materials originally used in a grandparent’s home. The specialty bar is simply a work of art. The project includes a bedroom/study and full bath, achieving the client’s goal for maximizing space while adding a lot of wow factor.
This homeowner wanted to upgrade his fireplace by replacing his typical pre-fabricated gas log insert with a “real” wood burning one. This winning project was crafted with timeless Alabama sandstone, reclaimed Alabama oak, cypress, and other custom elements.
And when the kids want to be near them, but mom and dad need a little breathing room, there’s a craft corner just off the kitchen (right) stocked with crayons, paper, and scissors. “No matter how large your house is, the kids still want to be near you. This way, they can all be near each other and the kids can be occupied while William and Kim cook dinner, ” Shea says.
Crab Salad
