Tour an Atlanta Condo With a Miami Vibe

The owners of this two-bedroom, two-bath home in Atlanta's desirable Park Place Condominiums actually spend most of their time in Idaho. But for proximity to their children and grandchildren in Atlanta, this 2,403-square-foot unit serves as a second home. Since the condo building dates to the '80s, the unit needed some major updates. Enter designer Carter Kay. The owners wanted to keep it light, both in color and feel, as though the condo could be in Miami. Kay and her team freshened it up and created new spaces so it would no longer channel the "Park Place of yesteryear."

The foyer presented one of the condo's biggest design challenges. "The foyer is an odd shape and designed so that you looked right into the kitchen when you first entered the unit," says Kay. So she and her team relocated the kitchen entrance to the back, closer to the dining area. "This gave us a more inviting foyer and a wonderfully spacious kitchen pantry," Kay says.

Kay's team also created an enclosed hallway with arched doorways at each end. This space doubles as an art gallery for the owners' collection, with room to grow. Another thoughtful aspect of the foyer redesign hid the utility closet door, so the focus remains on the art.

Kay wallpapered the low entrance ceiling in the foyer to match the walls. She likes how the final result contrasts with the taller rooms just beyond, which are flooded with natural light. Kay points out the dramatic effect of shifting from dark to light, and how the interplay emphasizes textures and shapes.

"Texture and scale are vitally important in an open floor plan," says Kay. She kept the focal point on the living room view with low, neutral furniture.