New Southern Interiors: Patterns & Textures Abound in This European-Style Home

Lisa Mowry

Sometimes the best starting point for a room is a beautiful piece of art. For this Atlanta abode, the wife’s favorite painting – an abstract she’d had for years, artist unknown — inspired the whole house. “The art is located in the foyer, which can be seen throughout each room on the main level,” says interior designer Kit Castaldo. Her thinking? Keep the nearby rooms clean and neutral with furnishings, while adding accessories and textures in different color combinations found within the art.

This Atlanta house near Chastain Park offered a change of lifestyle for the young homeowners, who moved from a high-rise to this European-style house so they could have more room for entertaining and a yard for a dog.

We love our sponsors!

A beloved painting in the foyer sets this design story in motion … look for its splashes of color in subtle ways throughout the house.

Touches of modern — the sculptural faucet, a herringbone-design for the backsplash and those groovy bar stools — meld with marble countertops for a contemporary/classic mix.

A large wine refrigerator in the bar area speaks to the homeowners’ love of vino. “The island and bar area are painted dark, which is inspired by dark veining in the countertops, to add depth along with grounding the space,” says Kit. “The antique mirror backsplash adds a dressy element to the space. I always love antique mirrors … they give the space a bit of sparkle and bring more reflective light into a small space.”

A flash of pink and a “sputnik” light fixture liven up the wife’s office. “We wanted to create a workspace that felt feminine yet was extremely functional,” says Kit. “The mirrored desk by Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams adds a feminine element, while the Greek-inspired linen chair is classic. Wool rug is by Kalaty.

Alabaster lamps from Visual Comfort bring in an earthy element to the office.

A prime example is in the foyer itself. “The art reads as both masculine and feminine, which brought a great vibe to the space,” says Kit. “We designed the foyer to be a mix, with the abstract painting, modern bench and Louis-style chair showing my passion for combining modern with classical.” The sleek bench, from Worlds Away, was recovered in a plum fabric to pick up a similar tone in the art above.
Kit continued purple tones in the kitchen, which has a pop of this non-traditional kitchen color in bar stools against an otherwise classic white and black room. “My clients’ styles were quite different from each other, since the husband tends to lean more on the traditional side, and the wife is much more modern,” she says. “So my transitional design style was a perfect fit for the space.” She continued the sophisticated-modern vibe into other rooms, making sure to layer in textures as well as color to add depth; velvet, linen, wood, iron, leather, concrete, crystal and a live plant or two as just some of the tactile additions.

Symmetrical sofas in a Belgian linen by Verellen keep the living room casual with their oatmeal color, while a custom alder-and-iron coffee table by GREY grounds the room.

When designer Kit Castaldo saw this photo of the homeowner on her horse, she knew it would be perfect art for the living room. “I truly want my designs and the finished space to reflect the personality and character of the people who live in them,” she says.

The master bedroom features a soft, neutral palette of cream, white and gray with more art inspiration to prompt purple jewel tones. Custom white linen drapery is banded in a grey trim tape by Robert Allen Design to frame the space.

Those dreamy bed linens are from Peacock Alley.

We love our sponsors!

Floor tiles are installed in a herringbone pattern as an update to traditional flooring. Black and white art provides a classic backdrop.

“My client is extremely fashion-forward, and she wanted something fun with a lot of personality in the powder room,” says the designer, herself with a background in fashion before turning to interior design. “I’ve always had a passion for Oscar de la Renta’s bold striped dresses, so when I came across this modern zig zag wallcovering by Oscar De La Renta, it was love at first sight for both of us.”

Interior designer Kit Castaldo had a career in sales before going back to college for a second degree — this time in interior design — and after an internship with Amy Morris Interiors began her own firm.

The designer loves the process of balancing every room. “I always take a classic approach to design and focus on key design principles and elements such as balance, harmony, light, texture and scale,” she says — not forgetting just the right amount of color. “Each room is filled array of textures, luxurious fabrics and timeless finishes which will keep the design fresh for many years to come.”