By: Stephanie Andrews
As you know, we were selected to design the dining room for the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles annual Cashiers showhouse. At first we thought, “There’s no way we can pull this off in such a short timeframe!” This was completely new territory for us, and to be honest we were nervous about how we could transform this room in less than six weeks!
With not a moment to lose, the Shelby Adamson/Stephanie Andrews dream team headed up this massive project and discussed (with vigor) the use of the room, aesthetic inspiration, and ultimately the stylistic direction. Both were instantly inspired by the tile serpent on the floor that the homeowner had taken over a year to lay by hand herself. We chose Farrow & Ball Studio Green for the walls as the base of the dramatic atmosphere that only a dining room of this caliber can manage with ease. We also wanted to celebrate the beautiful acreage surrounding the home, so we set to finding the perfect set of trees to make an impact in the room (with 15 foot ceilings, this was no simple task).
We sought the help of incredibly talented artist and designer Steve McKenzie to create a massive, dramatic painting for the main wall. This giant triptych measured nine feet tall by six feet wide, and we could not have been more thrilled to work with Steve on it. And the result? We think it speaks for itself.
So what did we learn from this entire experience?
1. Sometimes you just gotta do something risky and outside your comfort zone — it’ll work out!
2. The other designers in the showhouse were not only extremely talented, they were also a lot of fun and super supportive.
3. Our favorite vendors really went out of their way to help us, graciously providing the furnishings to make our room sparkle. We cannot thank you enough! (Special shoutout to Steve McKenzie, Verde Home, Direct Furniture, and Trinity Mercantile.)
4. The Balance Design team cleans up beautifully at a black tie gala!
The entire home is awe inspiring, so if you want to get away from the heat, head to the cool mountain paradise of Cashiers, NC. Tickets are available through the Cashiers Historical Society website (https://www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/showhouse) but hurry! This is the last weekend!
