Tour a Classic-Modern Makeover in Atlanta's Buckhead Neighborhood

Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood is known for its tree-lined streets, upscale shops, stunning art galleries and elegant residences. So, when this Buckhead condo began to show its age, it was high time to bring it back up to the neighborhood standard. Jessica, the condo's owner, enlisted Atlanta-based designer Gabriela Eisenhart of Silo Studio Design to turn the condo's style on its head.

Prior to the renovation, the condo boasted beautiful Buckhead views outside while feeling dated on the inside. "My client Jessica contacted me in 2022, she was ready to give her beloved condo new life. She purchased the condo in 2012 and knew it was time for a change," says Gabriela. "The condo was very dark and had this loft/condo hybrid style that screamed 2005. The ceilings were cement, and the floors and kitchen were a dark wood tone."

Post renovation, the condo has a light, bright and airy interior with a sophisticated style that Gabriela dubbed "classic modern edge."

Crisp, clean white walls and ceilings, light-toned white oak floors and a gray woven wall covering combine to give the space a chic elegance. "The first time I met with Jessica, she was dead set on having a space that felt NYC chic," explains Gabriela. "She wanted to have fun and, as an art collector, wanted the design to be focused on her art collection. I knew we needed to clean up the architecture of the space and lighten the palette, but I wanted it to feel edgy and fun."

While the main living area is filled with beautiful appointments, one stands out above the rest. "We centered the design around a special commission by Atlanta artist Steve Penley (left). Jessica lost her mom when she was a child," offers Gabriela. "When she saw how Penley painted Marilyn it gave her chills because it reminded her of her mother." To ensure the painting stays illuminated once the sun sets in Atlanta, two brass sconces are positioned directly above it.

To make Jessica's NYC art gallery dream a reality, Gabriela coated the walls with Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White, allowing the vibrant hues of the larger-than-life painting to pop. The golden yellows in the Penley piece spill out into the mustard yellow chairs sitting side-by-side atop a sprawling checkerboard rug, softening the vignette's visual juxtaposition.

Gabriela filled the open-concept living space with luxurious furnishings like a custom linen sofa and a veiny-marble-topped coffee table to ensure the condo's interior is as elegant and upscale as the Buckhead streets just below.

Before, the bedroom's lack of windows paired with a dark, early-2000s color palette left it feeling dark and small.

Now, the bedroom is bright and refreshing, featuring a light, neutral bed frame and a colorful painting from Jessica's personal collection. "I really wanted the room to feel as bright as possible since it doesn’t get any natural light," explains Gabriela.

Among the many drastic design changes in the bedroom is a stunning wood accent wall. "We really loved the idea of a reeded wood wall and ultimately decided staining it a light white oak would be the best balance for the room," says Gabriela.

To usher warmth and coziness back into the newly brightened space, Gabriela opted for modern sculptural brass sconces that cast a warm glow on the reeded wall and bring out the organic warmth of the wood.

The bedroom's color palette is decidedly subtle. "The focus was on layering textures not colors," offers Gabriela. "Jessica already owned the art piece in the room, so we balanced the art by bringing in some hints of pink." The bed itself showcases just how impactful bedding can be on a bedroom's overall look, as the dash of pink serves as the standout color in the mostly neutral space.

Before, the kitchen had a nice layout, but the finishes, such as the orange wood cabinetry, were lending a dark and dated aesthetic.

Gabriela's solution was simple. Keep the floorplan, but lose the finishes. "There really wasn’t much opportunity to change the footprint of this kitchen and it also didn’t make much sense," she offers. "But something I really wanted to happen was to change the orientation of the island so you could see the condo's great views instead of looking over the living room."

"We did a black reeded rounded island and hood to break up the simplicity of the white cabinets," says Gabriela. "We had our custom cabinet vendor make the island and hood to match. They are made out of solid oak, and we added the reeded detail and black painted finish."

Gabriela nixed the vertical wine storage and opted instead for floating shelves and additional cabinet space. The over-range microwave was then dropped to below countertop level in order to preserve the kitchen's new streamlined visual.

The bold black countertops are soapstone lookalikes made from quartz.