More than a residence for an Atlanta empty-nester couple, this newly built home in Suwanee, Georgia—45 minutes outside the city—was intentionally designed as a multigenerational retreat. Set within a gated community on expansive acreage, the house was planned with the owners’ three grown sons, eight grandchildren, and extended family in mind. “They wanted this to be for entertaining their family and all of the grandkids, and wanted it to flow with the organized chaos,” says interior designer Alison Baker.
They envisioned a grand, period-style house, but for modern living, a balance that was expertly shaped by residential designer Stephen Fuller and builder David Bowen of Walker Anderson Homes. “The exterior’s broad porches with a story-and-a-half profile give it a historic Lowcountry style, and the stone offers a mid-Atlantic, almost equestrian feel,” says Fuller, also noting that most of the square footage is on the first floor with a symmetrical, spread-out footprint. “There is a central gallery in the middle of the house that’s really pretty with beams and millwork,” he says, “and all of that layering of detailing in the millwork is really what translates the exterior mood.”
Inside, Baker was tasked with blending antiques the family has collected over the years, paying careful attention to the mix to keep things feeling fresh. “Sometimes when you have a lot of antiques, it can feel stagnant. I wanted to layer in some modern pieces so it feels collected, yet effortless,” she says. The home’s entry foyer is anchored by classic black-and-white marble flooring, but the real moment: walls dressed in a wallpaper featuring Japanese cranes with hints of blues and greens. “That wallpaper started the whole scheme and color palette throughout the home,” reveals Baker. “When you walk in the foyer, the front study is also wrapped in blue lacquer. I wanted to have a cohesive thought that marries those two rooms.” In the study, Baker intermingles antiques like a wooden bureau and the family’s collection of ginger jars with newly upholstered furniture like a statement-making curvy settee. “It’s often challenging to find homes for these collected pieces in a completely new environment,” admits Baker. “It ended up working out beautifully, and you would think they were bought purposely for these spaces.”…