F
or 10 years, Molly Weathington had been
living the dream in the Georgian home she
had built in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighbor-
hood in 2005. But as her family grew—
she and husband Paul share his five adult
children along with their two kids—they
needed more casual spaces. While standing
during dinners in their tight kitchen, she plotted out gather-
ing areas suited to her family’s constant get-togethers.
Not wanting to move, she enlisted architect Frank Neely
and builder Patrick Davey to craft a basement hangout
zone for teens Paul Jr. (17) and
Katherine (15) along with an eat-in
kitchen bookended by a big den
and a wraparound screened porch.
Weathington likes the functionality
of the indoor-outdoor space and the
sizable den. “It allows me to host
both small and large groups,” she
notes. “It just works.”
Next, Weathington asked
designer Margaret Kirkland to
infuse warmth and youthfulness
into her traditional interiors without
getting rid of her cherished antiques.
Kirkland recalls, “Molly said, ‘I
want it to be cozy and comfortable,
whether Paul and I are here by
ourselves or we have a big group
of people over.’ That was our driver
in everything.” They filled the rooms
with a mix of relaxed upholstered
furniture and contemporary pieces.
Here are Kirkland’s best tips for
creating modern comfort.Inject more color.
The home’s stately exterior appealed
to Weathington, but she wanted
the inside to be peppier with lots
of blue, purple, pink, and even lime green. Such lively hues
are mood boosters, Kirkland swears. “I want people to feel
something when they come home,” she says. “Hopefully, it’s
happy or serene or restful.” To ensure the look wasn’t over-
whelming, she was also generous with neutrals. For instance,
to temper the blue (Weathington’s favorite shade) in the den,
Kirkland kept the walls white and the velvet sectional taupe.Give big rooms small-space coziness.
With its outsize footprint and 16-foot vaulted ceiling, thethe classic
EXTERIOR
They did a lot of
matching and blending
of bricks to accommo-
date the expansion.
“It was a labor of love,”
Kirkland says. Black-
painted shutters are
a timeless pick.
the inviting
ENTRY
Originally, there were
beige walls, crystal
lamps, and porcelain
accessories. The home’s
entrance seemed “very
serious,” says Kirkland.
Cue the cool modern
paintings (created by
Southern artist Sally
King Benedict) and
fluted ceramic lamps
to counter the marble
floors and gilt mirror.