Sometimes on Monday, it’s nice to take it slow and take in some beautiful inspiration. Today I’m sharing two homes that I can’t stop thinking about — I hope you love them, too!
I discovered this home via Pinterest and it brought me to this amazing roundup of photos from the former home of Helen Ballard Weeks, the founder of Ballard Designs. I love the iconic classics that make up Ballard Designs’ style, and especially love that it’s a direct-to-consumer brand with such great quality, well-designed pieces!
Ballard’s former home is located in Atlanta. The sprawling house has stucco walls and tall windows surrounded by gravel paths, beautiful landscaping, vegetable gardens, courtyards, patios and a pool. I didn’t include a lot of exterior photos here, so visit Cote De Texas to see lots more photos of this beautiful home!
The interiors of this home are what drew me in immediately. Worn stone floors, white stucco walls, floor to ceiling windows, reclaimed wood herringbone floors, high-ceilings with rustic exposed beams — the house itself looks like it could have be plucked from the French countryside (and it’s a new build!). The decor is mostly neutral with pops of blue, green, chartreuse, yellow and orange throughout, and even some bright pink in the master bedroom. But what stands out the most is the gorgeous TEXTURE — the wood beams, stucco walls, and weathered floors are brought to life with furniture from a huge range of periods and gorgeously patina-ed antiques.
If I had a tree-lined drive like this, I would feel like I lived in a fairy tale every day.
More Europe than Atlanta, right?
THIS is the photo that made me want to know more about this house. First, the beautiful, clean yet soft architecture, then the gorgeous mix of new and old in the furniture and decor, and the perfect restraint in the color palette that really lets the texture of weathered terra cotta, worn wood, white linen, glass, wire, iron, and stone stand out (with a pop of Chartreuse, which was one of Ballard’s calling cards).
This definitely looks like the sort of easygoing country house that would be filled with cuddly Labs.
Perfection! Those limed walls are so refined, and I love how that modern light looks against them. Also, I never knew I needed an aged terracotta pot so badly.
Limed cabinets in the butlers pantry.
The blues and greens look great in here against the whitewashed neutrals.
That stone floor looks wonderful to walk on with bare feet.
THESE floors. Reclaimed from a Belgian school house, apparently. I think permanent features like floors and walls and windows and molding are SO important. Almost all the decorating work is done with a gorgeous floor like this.
Yup, I could spend all day here.
The floors continue into the bedroom, and I love that the pop of color in here is pink. It’s so nice to have a change of pace in private rooms — especially to add a little glamour.
That lucite chair is perfect in this bathroom, which doesn’t even look like a bathroom.
The pop of orange is so much fun in this glamorous dressing room. Those mirrored doors look distinctly Ballard to me.
This is the art studio — it looks like it doubles as a potting shed. Having a room like this seems like the ultimate luxury!
The second home I can’t get off my mind is the Greenwich Village apartment of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, which I found via Desire to Inspire. It has a similar color palette and mix of styles as Ballard’s home, but while her decor is more rustic and aged and antique, theirs is more modern and refined and glamorous.
I love that primitive console table next to the antique gold mirror and the rustic basket underneath the refined brass coffee table. The mix in here is so beautiful. I also love the idea of two separate coffee tables with a walkway in between.
Antique mirrors > brand new mirrors, always.
Look at all the different textures here! Why is that soooo alluring in a room?
Another texture explosion. I love the way marble acts as its own texture because of the beautiful veining.
Those brass lamps are so elegant and fun.
Can you ever go wrong with floor to ceiling marble with black, white, wood and touches of brass? I think it might be a foolproof formula for a stunning room.
I love this hit of super-modern graphic tile in the bathroom. It still fits in with the color scheme but injects some fun and excitement in this small space.
I hope you were as inspired as I was by these two beautiful, neutral homes!
Park and Division 