A PEACHTREE HILLS FAMILY DOUBLES DOWN ON THEIR BELOVED NEIGHBORHOOD.
Janie Beck and her husband have lived in Peachtree Hills since they got engaged in 2013. A wedding and two daughters later, they realized they needed to expand beyond their three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow, but they didn’t want to leave the community they’d come to cherish. “The community aspect of Peachtree Hills is so special to us,” says Beck, who grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia. “My husband and I are both from small towns, and it feels like home.”
The couple realized they needed more space during COVID, so they kept an eye on the market. Beck took note when a neighborhood duplex went up for sale and was purchased by real estate agent Susan Calahan, who planned to flip the property. In November 2022, after construction began, the couple decided to look at the house, which was next door to the home of Beck’s college best friend.
“We walked through it before it was finished and we were able to buy it off market,” Beck says.
The family moved in two days before Christmas 2022. A few weeks later, they called in the help of Liz Williams of Liz Williams Interiors, who was familiar with the property, to help personalize the interior.
“We did not do it all at once. I would call it slow and steady. All the things that Liz guided us on were so impactful, so I feel like it was a very measured approach,” Beck says. “People can get really intimated by the idea of working with a decorator, but everything that they presented was really helpful, for my husband especially.”
The interior design process was guided by the Becks’ desire for a home that was aesthetically pleasing while also comfortable for their two girls, Cecilia and Margo, now 6 and 8. The homeowners love the outdoors and wanted to incorporate the blues and greens of a natural landscape inside.
“Liz pushed us in the right direction to complement the blues with greens and to have the play of color,” Beck says. “We love plants and flowers, and wanted to feel like the outdoors were inside.” Along with contemporary furnishings, Williams helped the Becks integrate family heirlooms, including blue-and-white china and a vintage filing cabinet in the dining space as well as a grandmother clock in the living room. “It’s a good mix. It seems collected more than as if we went to a showroom and plopped it all in. It is thought out,” Williams says.
Before the Becks moved any furniture in, Williams hung the couple’s art and photos, and took time visualizing the layout of the open living space to find the best location for the dining room and various sitting areas. The open kitchen, with countertops of stained wood and quartz and a modeled subway tile backsplash, overlooks the dining room that features a custom round table by Nottingham Antiques and Birmingham chairs from Acquisitions recovered with Thibaut Cadence Emerald fabric. Nearby, a sitting area with two Lee Industries chairs is a favorite spot where the Becks often enjoy their morning coffee and cuddle with their girls.
“It was important that we use what we have,” Beck says. “We wanted to maximize the space. Even the guest room is where my husband plays guitar, and our desk is in there. We nest and rest in every space of the house.”
Other favorite gathering spots include the living room, where furnishings combine a Wesley Hall Signature Elements sectional in blue performance velvet from WebbMarsteller and a Made Goods Askel coffee table in faux raffia with a neutral Couristan indoor/ outdoor rug. Below the inconspicuous frame television is an eye-catching Villa & House Emil console in 1970s-style burl wood.
“Cozy is probably the word that most people use when describing our home. It’s very comfortable. We didn’t want anything a kid couldn’t cuddle up on or a dog couldn’t flop on,” Beck says.
The Becks often have neighborhood friends over and enjoy hanging out on the screened-in porch nearly 10 months out of the year, thanks to the outdoor fireplace. The open-air living area is furnished in a wicker sectional from Rocky Mountain Patio, Visual Comfort Maverick fans and a side table by Beck’s friend and artist Sara Palmer.
Beck also incorporated Palmer’s art in the primary bedroom: Two pieces of mixed media/collage were created to match the room colors of neutrals with touches of light blue. The decor also features wood fragment lamps from Interiors Market, Oxford side tables from WebbMarsteller and a custom bed dressed in linens from Buckhead’s Gramercy Home.
“Our bedroom is my sanctuary; the muted palette, exposed brick, blackout curtains and pitched roofline create a sense of calm that feels worlds away from the pace of our daily life,” Beck says.
The Becks’ are thrilled with how their home turned out, but they do have plans for a potential future project: adding a two-story garage with a place to play music. They are in no rush, however, and focused, for now, on living out their neighborhood dreams raising their girls in their refreshed Peachtree Hills abode.
“I walk around at least weekly, and I’m just like, ‘I love our house,’” Beck says.
Janie Beck’s Favorite Design Details
1. The kitchen nook. “Tucked just off the kitchen are two swivel chairs and a petite cocktail table that invite easy lingering for morning coffee, a quick catch-up or a glass of wine while someone makes dinner nearby. Equal parts cozy and functional, these seats can accommodate the girls, a parent and a dog.”
2. The chair on the porch with the little side table made by my friend. “This is my favorite spot in the whole house. I like to sit out there in the morning before the sun comes up and listen to the birds with a cup of coffee. It’s also my favorite spot at the end of the day with a mocktail or cocktail, unwinding with family or friends.”
PHOTOS: Patrick Heagney
