A BUCKHEAD COUPLE SOLIDIFIES THEIR STYLE AND STARTS THEIR FAMILY IN A CHASTAIN PARK TOWNHOME.
Megan and Steve Lore moved into their 2,400- square-foot townhouse the day the world closed down. It was 2020; the global pandemic had just begun, and the Lores dove into home ownership, decorating their space as the world outside of its four walls stopped. Besides the obvious pandemic roadblock, life then was different than it is now. “We weren’t married, weren’t engaged and did not have a baby,” Megan says.
At the time, their three-bedroom home was filled with builder-grade materials and generally lacked personality. Megan, a tastemaker and the owner of art and home decor company Match South, partnered with The Home Depot for a complete upgrade, documenting the experience with her nearly 70,000 Instagram followers. She’s a self-proclaimed color enthusiast, so punchy oranges, earthy greens and calming blues are now distributed throughout the home.
The kitchen island was painted Russian Olive by Behr and became the functional heart of the home. “We use our dining room as our home office, so we eat most of our meals here,” she says. Oversized brass pendant lights from Savoy House are suspended above. Knobs were swapped and glass-front cabinets were added for dimension. The result is a vibrant space that greets visitors as the first room on the main living level, while the terrace level is home to the family’s garage, guest room and catch-all foyer.
The walls in the adjacent dining room are covered in Twiggy wallpaper by Schumacher. Thanks to the prominent windows, the paper almost shimmers, reflecting natural light throughout the space. Megan recounts the furniture that’s landed here, a collection of her own frugal finds. The table was a thrifting score; the chairs with neutral cheetah fabric are from Ethan Allen; and the sideboard is a secondhand find from Now & Again in Sandy Springs. “I had seen a similar one on Chairish for four times the price,” she says.
Lore’s ability to find a good deal is a theme throughout the home. In each room, she can point to something that was either a family heirloom or a unique and affordable acquisition. In the family room, plush, cloudlike seating creates an inviting atmosphere and faces the built-in bookshelves stacked with antiques. “I sourced most of this from Steve’s grandparents’ house in Argonne Forest [a Buckhead neighborhood],” she says, gesturing to the shelves. “Anything I could find in their house I would take.”
Leather-bound books gingerly lean against each other, while treasured family art is updated with simple Ikea frames. Other artifacts such as ginger jars and tchotchkes are from various Etsy shops. “I will scour the internet for hours, and I love to use the reverse image search on Google, too,” she says.
When she describes the window treatments designed by Jim Davis, she starts gushing. “He grew up in the business, and he crushes it. He can do anything and everything custom: pillows, bolsters, you name it, but he is best known for his drapery,” she says. The living room is just a peek of the remainder of the window treatments to come.
A stair wall features an ornate gilded mirror, another find from Lore’s in-laws, and the landing opens to a small chest topped with a framed Hèrmes scarf in an equestrian motif. The first room on the second story is her son’s nursery, Megan’s favorite space in the house.
Filtered sunlight cascades into the room from the massive windows, casting a serene glow. Here, Davis worked his drapery magic, creating a jaw-dropping geometrical, castle-like statement. “He designed the shape, and when he installed it, it was so much better than I ever imagined. We live on a busy road, so it blocks a lot of sound and light, too.”
The walls are outfitted in Baxter stripe paper by Schumacher, and the room is punctuated with sweet sentimental accents. A shelf holds a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit (Megan’s favorite childhood book), a few pieces of heirloom silver and a teddy bear from The Dewberry Hotel in Charleston. A watercolor by Atlanta artist Jennifer Keim features a golf motif. The daybed, chair and glider are custom from Buckhead Upholstery.
The Lores’ primary bedroom is at the end of the hall on the back of the home. It bursts with color while maintaining a sense of balanced peace. The hues are just enough to add a bit of personality.
When putting this room together, Lore says she started with the Crown Bed from Coley Home in sage green velvet trimmed in lavender welt. Once again, the windows are outfitted in custom window treatments by Jim Davis Designs. Their unique shape frames the wall, while the nubby fabric shares a similar color scheme as the bed linens as well as the framed Hermes scarf.
Patterned grasscloth wallpaper adds charm and dimension without being busy. How does her husband feel about all of this color? “He could not care less!” Megan says. As in the rest of her home, secondhand finds abound: Rattan mirrors and foo dog lamps flank the bed, while the rug is from Scott Antique Markets.
The Lore townhouse feels cozy and lived in. “This is our first home together. We have made it through a lot of challenges here yet are making it our own sweet little oasis in the midst of all the chaos.” She describes her style as transitional with a dash of contemporary sprinkled in. She says she’s now thinking of paring down the unnecessary. “I love clutter and antiques, but they can affect your energy.” Regardless of what’s next, the Lores are sure to have a serene and rejuvenating space that reflects their personalities.
Megan Lore shares her favorite sources for home decor!
1. Megan has an affinity for framed designer scarves. Over the years she has found several via eBay and Etsy. She has them framed locally at Color Chrome in Norcross.
2. “Now & Again used to be right by the house, so I went all the time,” she says. While she doesn’t make it to the Sandy Springs location as often, there are many finds from the secondhand store in her home. The shop has been open since 1991.
3. Items from the Lores’ passion project, Match South, are sprinkled throughout their home. High-quality matchbox photographs, candles, match strikes and coasters are available online at matchsouth.com.
PHOTOS: Patrick Heagney
