Saturday, July 4, 2009

The 4th of July House


In Atlanta, land of the 'house proud', many people decorate their homes for the holidays; some home owners even decorate for the 4th of July. I drove by this home yesterday, and I immediately had to stop to admire its beauty. I took the picture at the break of dawn, so the light wasn't too good, but the simplicity and heartfelt style of the decor is what appealed to me. As in many other aspects of decor, sometimes it is better just to go big and go simple to make the most dramatic statement!

This is a quintessentially Southern home! Normally Greek revival style is not my favorite, but this house has undergone a meticulous renovation over the past few years and the results are simply magnificent. The upper porch was added during the renovation, giving the home more of a Louisiana/French Creole feel. I much prefer when columns are visually broken up this way.

I apologize for the skewed nature of this picture, but it gives an idea of the home in its setting. During the renovation, two wings were added to the front to make a courtyard.

before_july

Here is a picture of the home from the tax records - this was probably taken over a decade ago, but it shows that a big transformation has taken place. My favorite change: the series of French doors added to the front of the home, including three on the upper porch.

Blenheim_aerial

I also love the addition of a front parking courtyard; it reminds me of the front courtyard of Blenheim Palace in the town of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. From Atlanta to Oxfordshire - you never know where a post is going to take you!

I hope you enjoyed the 'Fourth of July' house as much as I did! I seem to recall that the owners of this home also decorate for Christmas, so I will need to return in December for an update.