Chip Wade Off Duty

On the show Elbow Room, designer and contractor Chip Wade encourages homeowners to pour their sweat equity into drastic renovations. So naturally when he and his wife, Pauli, bought a place in Atlanta, GA, three years ago, he jumped right into a massive redo. “I like to take my own DIY advice,” jokes Chip, who basically started from scratch—only the framing existed when he purchased the house—and did much of the work himself, from cutting beams for the 20-foot ceilings to designing light fixtures.

Of course the house contains a workshop for Chip’s arsenal of tools, but it’s also incredibly family-friendly, with sink-right-in seating, indestructible hardware, and a kitchen-adjacent playroom, where kids Mac, 6; Mara, 4; and JT, 1, hang out. “We wanted a place where family and friends would feel comfortable enough to drop by, stay, eat, and play anytime,” says Chip. That said, his favorite thing about his home may be its location: “We’re just a couple of miles from The Home Depot and a Lowe’s!”

Earth-toned fieldstone, brick, and cedar shingles give the home an old-world look. “Yes, it’s a big house, but it doesn’t seem forced,” says Chip. “It’s the kind of structure that could have been built 200 years ago and will hopefully look great 200 years from now.”

The centerpiece of the kitchen is the 12-foot-long island, which Chip designed with a terrazzo top (a composite material usually made from cement and natural stone or glass). “It’s our entertaining epicenter,” he says. Red stools scored on overstock.com for about $50 each strike a cheerful note against the all-white custom cabinets and maple hardwood floor. The large chrome pendant is from Circa Lighting.