Tour a Newly Renovated 1920s Era Home in Atlanta

There comes a time in many homeowners’ lives when they realize a reno is in their future. For Cristina Poscablo-Stein and James Stein, the momentum started during their daughter’s first birthday party in their Atlanta, Georgia, home. “I’d set up a spread in the dining room, but everyone congregated in our kitchen — the last place I wanted people to see,” says Cristina. The area was closed off and, like the rest of the house, not as efficiently laid out as it could be. As they considered what to do, she says, “the list of things we wanted to make us love our house kept growing!” Pictured here: Cristina and James with Max, 21 months, and Fiona, 6.

Two years ago the pair embarked on a remodel of the 1920s Craftsman. With help from designers Lathem Gordon and Cate Dunning, they opened up the layout and brought house fantasies, including a music room and a back porch, to life. The result is full of fun flair, along with plenty of room to spread out … only they still have the reno bug. Maybe a garage? A pool? As Cristina says, “Our wish list has been fulfilled … for now.” Here's how they did it. (The pretty blue paint on the home's exterior is Commodore by Sherwin-Williams.)

“Now that I see how good the built-ins look, I can’t believe I ever wanted to get rid of them,” says Cristina. To be fair, they were a drab yellowish cream color. Paint freshened them up, especially doing the backs in black — which also helps camouflage the TV. The furniture is a refreshing mix, with a leather sofa by CR Laine, nonmatching armchairs (the green one is by Bernhardt and the caned one is by Selamat) and layered rugs.

Cristina and James love to host, so connecting the kitchen to the living room was a top priority. They also longed for an island, and now they have a place to set out platters of food and gather when friends come over. The color palette is timeless — white with a teal island (Blue Peacock by Sherwin-Williams) plus leather counter stools from CB2.