AT HOME, CANDY QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHMITT CREATES A NEUTRAL RETREAT!
Elizabeth Schmitt is the woman behind the luxury candy board company Ruby Bond (formerly ATL Boards). The punchy candy snack displays in acrylic trays are instantly recognizable, especially to the company’s more than 175,000 TikTok followers. There, Schmitt tests, squishes and reviews some of the world’s most unusual candy. It’s a colorful online candy land. “People eat with their eyes first, and they like bright colors,” says Schmitt.
Eating colorfully is one thing, but after the end of the workday when all of the candy is put away, Schmitt’s reprieve is her neutral condo. “At home, I love and embrace white.”
Schmitt lives in south Buckhead with husband Dr. Matthew Schmitt, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician, and their 5-year-old daughter, Penelope. The family’s two-bedroom, three-bathroom, 1,700-square-foot condo offers scenic city views. “It’s that city lifestyle that we love. We always like to be able to walk to places to eat or things to do, but we have these fantastic views of Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain, too,” says Schmitt. “It’s a gem in the city.”
Ironically, the Schmitts first fell in love with their location sight unseen. “My husband was doing medical fellowship training in Connecticut where we were living in hospital housing, which was awful. I was too pregnant to even come to visit our now building, so my sister came to preview it.” One look at a photo of the all-white kitchen, and Schmitt was sold. “I was like, oh my gosh, this place is going to be amazing just based on that alone.”
After renting for a few years and realizing condo living suited them, the couple bought a unit that needed some cosmetic upgrades a few floors up in the same building. Metallic tiles were removed from the living area walls; the carpet was replaced; the paint was refreshed. “If you would’ve seen the place, you wouldn’t have even believed it,” Schmitt says. “I even had someone steam and deep clean the grout and the marble in the bathrooms. It made them look new. It was life changing.”
Schmitt partnered with interior designer Margaret Bosbyshell of Margaux Interiors Ltd. to help her select finishes, soft goods and accessories. “She has an amazing eye for texture and color. She knew how to help us select pieces based on look and functionality.” Since Schmitt is drawn to white, that meant seeking contrast in fabrics and textures instead of color. In the living room, they chose nubby neutral fabrics and accented with tone-on-tone leopard, all in performance materials.
“I wanted our home to look and feel grown-up, but I have a young child,” she says. “Life happens. I still want people to enjoy our home and relax when they’re here.”
While most of the home is cloaked in neutrals, pops of pink are sprinkled throughout the space. For her primary bedroom, Schmitt chose blush walls to add a bit of warmth. “My bedroom is my retreat. As soon as Penelope goes to sleep, I beeline to my bed,” she says. The double-lined blackout curtains are as beautiful as they are functional. “Because my husband works strange hours and sleeps at strange times, we can close them, and it’s immediately dark in the bedroom,” she says.
Like her parents, Penelope’s room has blush pink walls with muted magenta window treatments and an orchid-covered bed. “When I was looking at different fabrics [for the bed], I turned over one of them and realized I really loved the opposite side. Margaret suggested we use it inside out.” The result was a slightly darker, yet more durable, upholstered piece.
Schmitt’s other selections in the room include an Aerin flush mount light fixture and a framed pop-art print of bubble gum by artist Robyn Blair. “I actually did a collaboration with Robyn for Ruby Bond a few years ago, so having this piece of art for Penelope’s room is special for me.”
The artwork throughout reflects Schmitt’s eye for color and shape. The oversized heart in the kitchen is complete with butterflies that mimics the Herend Queen Victoria china on the dining room table. A large-scale black-and-white abstract hangs in the den, and a few pieces of framed mixed media art—family heirlooms—hang in the dining room. Schmitt also loves her pink pear sculpture, a souvenir she got in London.
Even the Cristol Large Tiered Chandelier by Aerin in the main living area, resembles a piece of art. “I looked at lighting as the jewelry of the condo, the accessory.” The contemporary light looks like someone blew several bubblegum bubbles and placed them all together. It’s a playful take on a grown-up element.
Candy is never far from Schmitt’s mind or reach. A few Ruby Bond boards sit under cloches on the kitchen island. In the den, cylindrical glass containers are filled with black licorice, Schmitt’s favorite. “There is no balance between candy life and home life.” And to Schmitt, that’s not a bad thing. “I recently took Penelope to Storico Fresco, and she noticed a Coca-Cola can. She said, ‘This branding is like Albanese [candy]! And like Ruby Bond!’ I’ve never sat her down and explained branding, but she gets it. Because my worlds are intertwined, my child is exposed to entrepreneurship and creating something from nothing. That’s cool.”
Elizabeth Schmitt’s Top Tips for Decorating with Neutrals
1. Texture is everything. White on white can be lackluster and stark when not done correctly. Play up varying textures and patterns, even when they’re tonal.
2. Metallic can be neutral. Schmitt uses chrome finishes throughout her condo. Even the window treatments have hints of metallic. “Incorporating metallics into your home can add a little edge to a feminine or traditional look,” she says.
3. Lighter is brighter. The couple has roll-down shades for privacy (and a break from the hot sun), but Schmitt says she generally keeps them open, so sunlight floods the condo.
4. Clear is a great choice. The glass light fixture over the dining table is a more modern take on a chandelier. Since it’s transparent, it serves as its own neutral and doesn’t take up any visual space. Consider other translucent materials such as acrylic for form and function.
PHOTOS: Sara Hanna
