As a mom of a 4-year-old, I know the challenges of trying to containing toys in a home and I’m always on the lookout for well-designed homes on the market with space for kids that don’t take away from the style of the home. Think the opposite of the home in the ABC show “The Middle” and more like the homes on the set of “Desperate Housewives.”

That’s why this traditional three-bedroom, three-bath Brookhaven home at 984 Stovall Blvd. N.E., priced for $1.3 million and listed with Julene Hodges of Harry Norman, Realtors, stands out with its kid-friendly details. And unlike some homes, it doesn’t assume that the only kid space should be in the basement, which can make it difficult as a parent to watch them and get other things done.

The bright sunroom is devoted to a kids’ playroom, with plenty of seating and the white walls serving as a backdrop to display artwork. And best of all, it can be closed off with French doors from the rest of the house, which you can see during an open house from 3-5 p.m. Sunday.

Outside, there’s a brick patio and playground space, and the home also has a separate cabin with a stone fireplace. Inside the main home, built in 1940, the living spaces include details such as built-in bookcases, which also appear in the cabin. Just the right balance, in my mind, of adult and kid space.

Phoebe Howard’s guest bedroom in the 2008 Christmas House is the epitome of serene femininity.

InStyle Home featured this stunning SoHo loft three years ago. I’ve been hanging on to the magazine in hopes of re-creating this look in my own home someday.

This charming bedroom was featured in Country Living.

What design style best describes you?

Tonight–or at least sometime soon–I think he’ll find me tapping that telltale finger. I’ve been searching for the perfect chair for my living room and have finally narrowed it down to a select few. First up, these Louis XVI chairs from a recent Margaret Bosbyshell project; upholstered in black leather and accented with embroidered fabric, they take on a certain modern glam.

Or I could just as easily go with this pair of spring green wingbacks from the same project. I love how the color alone gives the traditional frames a fresh new vibe!

Or maybe it’s not a chair at all I’m looking for but, instead, a more unexpected settee. Barbara Howard recently fashioned this one for a client and I’m crazy about the zig-zag pattern!

Although I haven’t made any final decision, one thing is abundantly clear: The perfect piece will have some kind of traditional silhouette with a decidedly up-to-date covering.
What do you think? Any others you think I should be considering?

Years later, I feel just as fortunate to be immersed in Atlanta’s fantastic art scene and to be inspired daily by the works contained in our local galleries. Creating art is just a hobby for me, but it has allowed me to truly appreciate the talents of those that far exceed mine. Until my budget allows, I will continue making my own artwork or sourcing it second-hand from antique stores, but I eagerly await the day when I can purchase large-scale pieces by the artists I so admire.

So naturally, when I was creating an original art piece for my bedroom, I was very much inspired by many local artists’ works, even just peripherally. (Probably the most valuable lesson my painting professor taught me was to be mindful of my influencers, because even subconscious inspiration from great artists is an inevitable and wonderful part of the creative process.)

Take the colorful abstract expressionistic paintings of Sally King Benedict, who is based in Charleston but represented locally at Gregg Irby Fine Art. I might describe them best as "stunning," and "gorgeous," but as pretty as they are, they're also perfectly in step with modern aesthetics, making them well-suited to a range of interiors. The fact that this young artist also graduated with me at College of Charleston just makes me doubly supportive of her work. I took the above photo at an art show for her work as well as others represented at the gallery.

Delightedly, I discovered the next artist on my list, Tina Steele Lindsey, via her comments on this very blog! Her acrylics-on-canvas, especially, are vivid, intricate and pleasing to the eye, but the examples shown here are only two of many that have recently captured me.

Lindsey works mostly on commission and specializes in media such as acrylic, oil and charcoal. Even her wedding portraits are imbued with energy and seem to tell very interesting stories. Lindsey posts her works—and the stories behind their making—on her blog, tinasteelelindseyart.blogspot.com, which is without a doubt one of my favorite new places on the net. She produces pieces on commission and also shows at Gallery 4463 in Acworth, Georgia.

Perhaps one of my favorite rooms we've ever published—the living room of interior designer Courtney Giles—features a large abstract canvas by Will Cay, represented through Carter Kay Interiors—which unequivocally demonstrates how art can make a room.

The works of Lorraine Christie, a world-renowned artist who's known for creating romantic street scenes of lovers and friends meeting, most often in the rain, are both beautiful and moving. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and now residing in Roswell, Georgia, Christie's work has soared in popularity in Atlanta thanks to local representation at Huff Harrington Fine Art. More Impressionistic than abstract, I love the linear qualities of the figures in these urban scenes and how well reflections are rendered in luminous oil pigments.

At last, my handiwork in oils below:

As you can see, I broke the cardinal rule of photography by capturing this image at night in incandescent light, but I intend to snap another shot in the daylight soon!

What artists inspire your own creative pursuits? Let us know in the blog comments below!

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Photographed by Melanie Acevedo via Moodboard

(Image credits: 1. Erica George Dines via AH&L 2. Apartment Therapy
3. Erica George Dines via AH&L)

1. Heather J. Paper – Sherwin-Williams Sealskin SW7675
2. Clinton Smith – “The Veuve Clicquot Orange” like
Benjamin Moore’s Mandarin Orange 2018-20
3. Katy Wharton – Benjamin Moore Plum Royal 2070-20
4. Kate Abney – “Raspberry,” like Sherwin-Williams’ Cerise SW6580
5. Rachel Cardina Lasserre – Ralph Lauren Surrey TH28

Let us know what color you can’t get enough of! You can join Heather and me on the darker side or team up with the rest of the AH&L staff with their bright and bold hues.