Tour a Totally Dreamy, Century-Old Home In Georgia

When Brittany Hayes first saw this 1905 Craftsman in Monroe, GA, it had no walls, no fixtures, no lighting and almost no floors — the previous owner had gutted it. Even so, she was smitten. “I could see character here and there, like some of the original pine floors and the super-tall ceilings,” she says. A blogger and designer, Brittany had been waiting for the opportunity to take on a big project, and to create a home that she and her girls, Addison, 11, and Winter, 7, could call their own. And here it was, charm in the rough. First came the heavy lifting: Drywall was installed, plumbing was added, the old floors were refinished. Then Brittany cracked open her Pinterest board to inspire a whimsical-meets-elegant blend of dramatic paints, fancy wallpapers and look-at-me furniture — plus touches that all have a little something special. “We call this house our historic wonderland,” says Brittany. “Every room is a place where you can kick your shoes off and get lost.”

With its leafy wallpaper by Sandberg, the entryway is like an enchanted forest. The console is from Anthropologie, and the heirloom-like mirror is from HomeGoods.

The heart of this space: the swoon-worthy brick fireplace. “I treasured the few things that were still there after the gut job,” Brittany says. She put in rustic beams stained dark walnut and a roll arm sofa from RH to play up the vintage look. But it wouldn’t be a room in her house if it weren’t a little playful; enter a bubble gum pink velvet ottoman and a pair of bird-adorned upholstered armchairs, all from Anthropologie.

“I wanted a kitchen that felt sophisticated, to fit with the original look of the house,” says Brittany. A majestic powder-coated-wood range hood in black and gold by APF, Inc. became the centerpiece, contrasted with custom-color gray blue cabinets and luxe marble countertops. Gold-toned shelves echo the hood. “Even cooking spaghetti feels fancy in this kitchen,” says Brittany.