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A Classic Façade Fronts An Atlanta Family’s Contemporary Oasis.

“For their new abode tucked into an unassuming pocket of Buckhead’s Garden Hills neighborhood, one busy family imagined having it all. After acquiring two lots in a relatively urban portion of the Atlanta community, the clients asked their architect, Bulent Baydar, to create a private escape from their fast-paced lives. Their wish list was lengthy: a private gym, two media lounges, dedicated studies for each parent and child, a separate guest cottage, and even a glass conservatory for the husband’s horticultural hobby.

To accommodate everything, the architect delivered an H-shaped layout, carving out an auto court in front and swimming pool in back that’s cradled by the house on three sides. “Creating these secluded courtyards was the driving force of the floor plan,” he says. Adept at transitional architecture, Baydar had no trouble blending the clients’ dual desires for contemporary interiors within a traditional, European-influenced envelope. His concept merged French Normandy and English manor influences with white-painted brick, high-pitched gables, limestone accents and a sleek slate roof. 

Although the home appears classic from the front, modernity awaits within. Accessed through a pivoting glass front door, its vast entry hall unfurls into free-flowing living spaces. Bound by a 30-foot-wide expanse of floor-to-ceiling, steel-framed glass doors, these areas then lead to bi-level porches and a resort-style backyard. The biggest hurdle, Baydar says, was to elegantly fit the expansive house atop a relatively small footprint. “It’s located on two lots within a dense in-town area, so that made it a challenging but very interesting project from the start.” 

General contractor Grant Hafner had a tremendous hand in executing the home’s complicated framework—which included a significant payload of structural steel supports. “There’s a lot going on with this residence. It’s an impressive structure that was not easy to build by any stretch; Grant and his team did a great job,” Baydar reflects.

The house plans were already complete once designers Jane Hollman and Becky Hinss came aboard, though they still had opportunities to modify spaces heavily. “We inherited these huge, open rooms, large windows and tall ceilings,” Hinss describes. “One of our initial challenges was taking these grand proportions and tailoring them down to a usable, human scale.” 

In hardworking spaces such as the mudroom, bathrooms, closets and kitchens—all areas of Hollman’s specialty—the designer’s talent had the opportunity to truly shine. Introducing architectural features such as soffits, window headers and ceiling beams served to visually lower the ground floor’s 13-foot-tall ceilings. Dropping pendants over the kitchen’s double islands enhanced the effect. “Defining these spaces and utilizing different design elements to make them less imposing was key,” explains Hinss, who followed Hollman’s lead by employing decor tricks, like wallpaper on the ceiling and dark paint colors, to envelop certain rooms. She then layered in a variety of textiles and light fixtures to warm it all up. “The soft fabrics and dimmable lights help adjust the eye to focus on what’s below,” Hinss notes. 

In the dining room, for example, glamorous faceted pendants ignite the pale seafoam palette, enhancing—rather than upstaging—the greens and blues of the neighboring conservatory and pool. And while the overall effect is pure sophistication, “Everything we chose for this home was designed to take some living,” Hinss shares. “Nothing is meant to be immaculate or untouchable.” Mixed metal finishes on hardware and plumbing fixtures further add to the visual impact.

Baydar’s master plan for the hardscape nestled the linear pool at center, allowing the living spaces to look out onto the water and lush greenery beyond. To complete the scene with suitable plantings, the couple brought on landscape designer Mark Dobbs. Drawing inspiration from the English- and French-influenced architecture, Dobbs incorporated many structured evergreens, including a substantial hedge of oakleaf holly that encloses the property in full. 

Taken together, all zones of the residence answer the owners’ wish for a rich home life that supports warm and understated entertaining: hosting close friends and relatives for intimate dinners and gatherings, with every amenity right at their fingertips. “This is a close-knit family,” Hinss concludes. “Their biggest priorities were privacy and sanctuary; the idea was that this home could provide everything they would ever need, a place close to work and school where they could shut the outside world away.” Thanks to a design team with genuine vision, they gained all that and more.”

Studio Entourage is proud to announce that our Principal Designer, Jane Hollman, has won one of the 10 spots for regional winners (for the Southeast) in the Sub-Zero Wolf Kitchen Design Contest 2022-2023!  Studio Entourage's work was selected by a panel of judges from more than 1,600 entries. This means that Studio Entourage will be represented at the KDC Local Winners' Celebration Event later this year.

The Sub-Zero Wolf KDC has been a contest for 25 years running, one of the longest and most-esteemed contests in the industry. Many entries were submitted for the Southeast area and 10 were chosen to be local winners, including one of Jane and Studio Entourage's kitchen projects that finished in 2023. The contest was judged blind by a panel of independent judges including architects, kitchen designers, and interior designers. 

Learn more about the Kitchen Design Contest and check out all of this year's global winners here!

A dream team of Atlanta design talents transforms a Brookhaven kitchen into a functional, light-filled oasis in this 2023 Kitchen of the Year winner.

Looking to transform their French Country-style kitchen into something more clean, open and connected, a pair of Atlanta homeowners enlisted an assemblage of talents to achieve their dream design: architect Rodolfo Castro of Castro Design Studio, kitchen designer Jane Hollman of Studio Entourage, interior designer Brian Watford of Brian Watford Interiors and builder Michael Ladisic of Ladisic Fine Homes.

As the first order of business, Castro rearranged the overall layout, knocking down walls and positioning the kitchen to allow for higher ceilings and a more open feel.

From there, the team created a dramatic focal point with steel window composition surrounding a pewter hood and Statuario Corchia marble backsplash. “We wanted to have the focal point on that range wall be super special,” says Hollman, who implemented functional details throughout.

Because the kitchen’s footprint was long and narrow, the back portion of the kitchen island was dropped and offset to one side, allowing for plenty of seating without impeding on the walkspace by the refrigerator. “That was an important move that played well for function as well as looks,” notes Hollman.

For a clean and clutter-free aesthetic, rift-oak cabinetry by Marion & Bond Millwork conceals the refrigerator, walk-in scullery and freezer, along with small appliances such as a toaster and coffee maker. Throughout the rest of the kitchen, lighter cabinetry—painted to match the walls—features a tapered profile and provides a sophisticated sense
of contrast.

“It took a tremendous amount of collaboration to make this design a reality due to the complexity and intricacy of the details that needed to be executed,” says Hollman. “We truly benefited from a team of talented and seasoned professionals working together to make it all come together as planned.”

In this 2022 Kitchen of the Year winner, a European-inspired aesthetic by KINGDOM WOODWORKS pushes the design envelope to create a unique space suited to entertaining

A pair of empty nesters making the move from a suburban farm to Ansley Park enlisted a team of Atlanta talents to transform their newly purchased 1912 manse into a fresher, brighter home. Having the ability to host large gatherings was a priority for the couple, thus placing a spotlight on the kitchen. 

First up, architect Linda MacArthur finessed the layout, knocking down walls and doors to open up the compartmentalized spaces. Now, a floating range wall serves as the only partition between the kitchen and scullery. This unique feature serves as the centerpiece of the kitchen, its sculptural charm—along with a La Cornue range—captures the European aesthetic that the couple was seeking, says designer Jane Hollman of Studio Entourage. 

“Since they came from a farm, there was also a tremendous amount of work put into creating a connection to the outdoors,” she adds. Large steel windows overlooking the lush courtyard help establish this, as do textural elements like the rift white oak cabinetry designed by Marcel Olariu of Kingdom Woodworks. 

 Olariu incorporated luxurious touches, from a hidden television cabinet to dish pegs to light-up drawers, and placed a special emphasis on using pocket doors to hide smaller appliances such as a toaster, microwave and coffee machine. “These things normally sit plugged in on the counter, but can be an eyesore. We had so much of this beautiful marble in here that it didn’t deserve to be covered by clutter, so we created storage solutions to combat this,” explains Olariu. 

 This also allows for the dual counter vignettes flanking the kitchen entryway to function as bars when hosting. Instead of traditional cabinet doors here, Olariu suggested steel window doors to match the kitchen’s airy and earthy aesthetic. “It’s not a fussy or complicated kitchen,” he says. “All the natural elements speak for themselves.” 

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