Tour an Unforgettably Bold 5-Bedroom Home in Atlanta

Go big and stay home: That’s basically Sonal Patel-Cochran’s motto. “I’ve always gravitated toward more of everything in a house—more color, more pattern, more texture,” she says. “It makes doing simple things like hanging out on the couch feel kind of adventurous.” So when she and her husband, Russell Cochran, bought their five-bedroom house in Atlanta, GA—a major upgrade from their two-bedroom condo—Sonal was raring to deck it out with statement decor inspired by her passion for travel. For starters, she had all the trim painted dark and medium grays. “Since lighting also sets the tone of a room, we put in big, eye-catching kinds,” she says. The couple turned to designer Lisa Gabrielson for a hand with the furnishings, requesting unexpected shapes, not-shy patterns and funky textures with global flair. It’s a mix that manages to feel both worldly and cozy. Says Sonal, “People walk into our house and go, whoa. That’s how I like it!”

The art—two pieces by Parvez Taj—is the view in this breakfast room. More pattern plays: chairs with paisley-like detail from Urban Outfitters and a triangle-accented rug from West Elm.

Dark gray cabinets are striking in a kitchen, especially when set against a white backsplash with Moroccan-style tile from Walker Zanger. A white quartz-top island surrounded by black Arhaus counter stools also has high-contrast, high-impact style—yet it’s easy to clean after crafting marathons. Above it, Sonal hung two giant lanterns by Savoy House in a finish that plays off the cabinet color.

“It seems counterintuitive, but color and pattern chaos in my office motivates me,” says Sonal, who designs textiles. That explains the eclectic combination of woven baskets on the wall and layered rugs on the floor. The desk, with pyramid legs and a sleek glass top, has big-time presence. Adding to the glam mishmash: orange poufs from Surya, a blue-and-white ikat chair from Anthropologie and curtains made with indigo-dyed fabric by Lewis & Sheron Textiles.

For years, Sonal collected whimsical art she liked, with no plan for where it would all go. The kids’ playroom was a natural fit. All the games stacked inside the metal World Market console with a peek-a-boo front rev up the fun. The table is by West Elm…and Mira and Zane: “It has splatters from their projects, which makes me love it even more,” says Sonal. The crocheted pouf was handmade by Sonal’s mom in the ’70s.

How to freshen up classic board-and-batten paneling: Paint all of it, as well as the window casings, dark gray (Porpoise by Sherwin-Williams). The rich blue of the chairs—scored at a vintage store—go beautifully with the color. “They seem grand but not stuffy or formal,” says Sonal. “We use one as the special birthday chair when cutting cake with family.” They’re paired with white plastic molded chairs from Overstock and an industrial table from RH. Instead of traditional fabric curtains, Lisa hung fringy macramé ones from RH Teen for an unexpected hit of texture. The rug is from Nourison.

“We filled it with things that made our eyes happy,” says Sonal. That meant navy blue on the walls and the ceiling (Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore) and a glass-bead chandelier from Currey & Company. The various styles of furniture, all neutrals, blend in a cool, relaxed way, including a bed with crisscrossed metal accents and a white upholstered chair (both from RH) plus a whitewashed wood nightstand by Noir.

The inspiration for the room’s tile-on-tile look came from Turkish bathhouses the family visited on vacation. Sonal put oversize cream-color hex tile on the floor, and graphic cement tile from Cement Tile Shop on the wall above the vanity. “Blending patterns in different sizes and scales looks exciting,” she says. A curvy bronze-edged mirror from Uttermost and an aged-finish vanity by Cabinetcraft Custom Cabinetry clinches the bathhouse vibe.

The animal-loving little boy wanted the wilderness in his space. After painting it the same greige as in the dining room, Sonal stuck on a vinyl decal world map from Wallums and hung a wicker antelope head from Target. Zane picked out the light (from All Modern): “He said it’s like stars in the sky,” says Sonal. With a tent from Crate & Kids and a throw with pine trees (also from Target), the room is almost a permanent campout.