de Gournay Visit

We hope you have had a fabulous week! The past couple of weeks have been quite busy for us. As of today, we have officially been in our new office for a week! We are enjoying the Design Studios at ADAC and our new space. We are still getting settled, but be on the lookout for pictures when we are all moved in!

On Tuesday, we received a visit from our dear friends, Angela from Ainsworth-Noah and Alice from de Gournay. de Gournay is releasing several new lines of their wallpapers along with new linens. We were among some of the first designers to see the new items! We were swooning over every sample.

Angela and Alice showing us their new metallic wallpapers.

We love how striking this orange silk is!

Each artisan that works for de Gournay is an artist, therefore each item made by de Gournay is a work of art. Their pieces will be sold at auctions in a few hundred years as valuable antiques! Their aspiration is that "each item we produce represents the ultimate level of striving for perfection that can be achieved by an artist."

This cherry blossom paper features embroidered flowers.

How stunning are those flowers?!

We loved this Chinoiserie!

As each panel is hand-made from start to finish, each artisan has immense knowledge that carries down to the smallest of details. No other firm will interpret your dreams with the same painstaking attention to detail and the same level or artistic endeavor over such a range of products as de Gournay. Such knowledge is their strength and their high standards for quality are in all aspects of their work.

This paper is hand-etched, then layered with ink. 

How beautiful is that blue on the metallic silver wallpaper?!

Thank you to Angela and Alice for showing us these gorgeous pieces! We left feeling so inspired by all of the wonderful things we had observed. If you would like to see more of de Gournay's stunning pieces, please visit their website here.

ADAC's Southeast Designer of the Year 2015 Finalist

The Design Atelier is proud to be a finalist in the 2015 Southeast Designers & Architect of the Year competition! Presented to the designers and architects who exemplify outstanding talent in their fields, this prestigious honor is judged by top industry professionals. The awards program is celebrated annually as part of DESIGN ADAC and co-sponsored by ADAC and Veranda magazine. We are honored and flattered to be considered for such a distinguished award! 

We would love for you to celebrate with us and the other nominees at a reception on April 29th from 4-5 p.m. in the Jerry Pair showroom at ADAC. Please click here to register and click here to check out the full schedule of DESIGN ADAC events. The winners will be announced on April 30th. 

Melanie's Travels

We hope that you have been staying dry in all of this rainy weather. Fun fact: Melanie has been traveling with the Design Leadership Summit in Greece, Egypt, and Paris! Here are some photos from her travels. Enjoy!

 From Athens, Greece:

Floor plan of the Parthenon. The dots are all Greek Ionic columns.

The Parthenon

Selfie in front of the Parthenon - it was a windy day!

Amazing tile detail

Running in the original Olympic stadium!

100-year-old wisteria. How beautiful!

From Greece, they flew to Cairo and then traveled by boat along the Nile from Cairo to Luxor to Aswan. They've visited temples and tombs, enjoyed the scenery, and are being treated like royalty along the way!

Now onto Paris! Stay tuned for more pictures to come!

ADAC Design Studios Now Open!

We are pleased to announce that the Design Studios at ADAC are finally open! Here is a little excerpt from the press release:

ADAC is pleased to welcome 12 top-tier, hand-selected firms to the newly launched, ADAC Design Studios. 

 

“Opening the ADAC Design Studios allows us to further achieve our mission of bringing product and designers together,” explains Katie Miner, ADAC General Manager. “This is our answer to the numerous industry professionals that requested to work closer to ADAC. The Design Studios are comprised of designers, architects, and high-end, custom home builders who now, because of proximity, can more efficiently collaborate on ideas with clients.”

 

The concept, a work in progress for more than a year, is housed on the center’s fifth-floor and features more than 9,000 square feet of brand-new office and collaborative work space. 

 

“With the success of our designer offices at ADAC West, we knew we needed to take it one step further,” adds Miner. “A main part of the design process is to explore, see, touch, and feel products. This new work environment gives these trade professionals the opportunity to conveniently use ADAC as their sample library which ultimately results in a complete and streamlined experience for the client.”

 

The ADAC Design Studios include:

            Studio A:  Mark Williams Design Associates

            Studio C:  The Design Atelier
            Studio D:  Pritchett + Dixon
            Studio E:  IIDA
            Studio F:  Regas Interiors
            Studio G:  The Jane Group & Troy Rhone Garden Design
            Studio H:  Janus Associates Construction Management
            Studio  I:  Musso Design Group
            Studio J:  The Kenney Group
            Studio K:  McLaurin Interiors
            Studio L:  Bill Ingram Architect & Rollins Ingram

We cannot wait to join our future neighbors in May! We're starting to prepare for the move. If you have any extra boxes, please send them our way! :) 

We hear wedding bells!

We have such exciting news for you!! On Saturday, Emi said "I do" to her husband, Matt! She is officially Mrs. Mason!

Emi was the most radiant bride and her wedding was absolutely beautiful. Her attention to even the smallest of details made the day full of sweet moments and precious memories. The wedding took place in Auburn, Alabama at Auburn United Methodist Church with the reception at Fountainview Mansion. After a heartfelt ceremony, guests headed to the reception where we danced the night away and celebrated with the happy couple.

 Congratulations, Emi!! We wish you every blessing in this new chapter of life!

Photos courtesy of Lea Nicole Photography

St. Phillip's Cathedral Antiques Show Inspiration Avenue :: Finished Product

In February, we were invited to be a part of the Inspiration Avenue, a component of the St. Phillip's Cathedral Antiques Show. This year's inspiration was countries and ours was the lush country of Brazil. We gathered our concept from the beautiful Amazon rain forest and we love how we brought the rain forest to Inspiration Avenue! Here are some pictures of our room. 

We loved getting to participate in this event and make some new friends. Thank you to everyone who came to the antiques show and helped make this week possible!

StyleBlueprint Blog Feature

Two weeks ago, Melanie was featured in StyleBlueprint's blog post "Designer Details: Shop ADAC with a Designer." Melanie, along with Clary Bosbyshell Froeba, spent the afternoon showing how ADAC is an incredible resource.

Melanie with Clary Bosbyshell Froeba

Both Clary and Melanie share how frequently they visit ADAC, events they attend, and their strategies for navigating ADAC for their frequent trips. They also describe the importance of an interior designer, something that's very near to our hearts!

Melanie at Jerry Pair

ADAC is such a amazing resource for us to use. As an interior design firm, we can go to one centralized location to pull fabrics, wallcoverings, furniture, and lighting. It serves as a wonderful design community and we've developed amazing friendships with representatives at showrooms throughout ADAC.

Looking through lighting books at Grizzel & Mann

Here at The Design Atelier, we love ADAC for all of these reasons, and also because it will be our new home starting in May! We will be in the Design Studios at the Offices of ADAC. We hate to leave the Westside Provisions District, but we know that moving to ADAC will enrich our resource base and allow us to better utilize the showrooms. We are eager to start this new chapter in this new location!

Melanie comparing rug samples at Grizzel & Mann

 Check out the StyleBlueprint's post! You can find it in the link here.



*Photos from the StyleBlueprint blogpost

Meet the Ladies of The Design Atelier :: Melanie Millner

Here is the final installment of our series "Meet the Ladies of The Design Atelier." We've saved the best for last, Melanie is the founder and principal of The Design Atelier!

Melanie at her drafting table in the TDA office

Name: Melanie Millner

Hometown: Schenectady, New York

I knew I wanted to be a designer when… I was in high school.

If I wasn't a designer, I’d be… I can't imagine being anything else!

Random thing I’m good at… Deer hunting

Favorite meal to cook (or enjoy!)… Grilled salmon, quinoa, and steamed veggies

One thing I always buy even if I already own a dozen… Flowers, tulips are my favorite!

Every home needs… love.

Favorite restaurant... Restaurant Eugene on Peachtree.

You couldn't pay me to... do interior painting.

Melanie's children: Wyatt, Megan, and Wesley
Also, Cocoa, the family dog

My perfect day… any summer day in Northeast Harbor, Maine with my kids.

Guilty of spending too much money on… groceries from Whole Foods.

Favorite quote… "Peace, it does not mean to be in a please where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

If I could travel anywhere, it would be… Maine, Paris, and Italy

My biggest pet peeve is… lack of motivation.

Best motherly advice… Nothing worthwhile comes easy.

My latest addiction is... a daily latte from Enrico, the Italian barista at Star Provisions.






We hope you enjoyed getting to know Melanie and the other ladies of The Design Atelier. It's been fun to show you our team and to let you know more about each of us! We've been up to some pretty exciting things the past couple of weeks, and we can't wait to tell y'all about them. Be on the lookout for another post coming soon!

We wish you a great weekend, and stay warm!!

Meet the Ladies of The Design Atelier :: Sarah Margaret Lyons

We hope you have had a great week so far! Here is the next member of our team, meet our Design Assistant Sarah Margaret!

Sarah Margaret with her family commemorating
her graduation from Auburn University in August.

Name: Sarah Margaret Lyons

Hometown: Auburn, Alabama

I knew I wanted to be a designer when… When I was younger, I would rearrange my doll house every week and rearrange/redecorate my room about once a month. My mom also gave me the responsibility of decorating the house for Christmas, rearranging the furniture, or styling bookshelves, mantels, etc. I (officially) knew I wanted to go into interior design when my parents bought and renovated a 1920's bungalow when I was in high school. I had so much fun visualizing the final result!

If I wasn't a designer, I’d be… maybe an elementary art teacher or working for a non-profit charitable organization.

Random thing I’m good at… Cooking! I love it. I got 2 new cookbooks for Christmas and I love scouring through them!

Favorite meal to cook (or enjoy!)… I really enjoy being adventurous with cooking. I get inspired from shows on the Food Network (Ina Garten and Giada de Laurentiis are my personal favorites) and try to replicate meals from memory. Usually I toss ingredients together and see how it turns out! Sometimes, it's delicious and other times... you surrender and order pizza.

One thing I always buy even if I already own a dozen… Haagen Dazs pints of ice cream. I can’t help it.

Every home needs… organization and at least one antique piece. (Emi and I agree on this!)

My perfect day… Sleeping in, having a nice quiet morning with a good book and a cup of coffee, and then spending the rest of the day with family and friends out on the lake.

Sarah Margaret with her boyfriend, Jeffrey, in the Devon Tower
overlooking Oklahoma City.

Guilty of spending too much money on… plane tickets to see my boyfriend in Oklahoma.

Favorite quote… “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” -Mother Theresa

If I could travel anywhere, it would be… The southern coast of Italy! The pictures I've seen look lovely and it sounds so luxurious to lay in the sun and eat scrumptious Italian food all day.

My biggest pet peeve is… nail biting or knuckles popping. I hate the sound!

Best motherly advice… Always act like a lady.



We hope you enjoyed getting to know Sarah Margaret. Look forward to meeting another team member next week!! 

Meet the Ladies of The Design Atelier :: Emi Price

For the next month or so, we will be doing a little series called "Meet the Ladies of The Design Atelier." We want to give you the opportunity to get to know each team member of The Design Atelier! Usually, our blog posts consist of what we are currently working on or inspiration images for upcoming projects. Why not give you a peek inside our world and see who makes up The Design Atelier?!

Without any further ado, meet Emi, our Design Associate!

Emi and her fiance, Matt, cheering on their Auburn Tigers!

Name – Emily Kathryn “Emi K.” Price… but you can call me Emi K. Mason in about two months!

Hometown – I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee but my parents moved to Auburn, Alabama about 2 years ago and I could not be more happy to call Auburn home.

I knew I wanted to be a designer when… As a little girl, my favorite thing to do was rearrange the house. I would convince my little sister that we should take her bunk beds down and make them into twin beds (or vice-versa) about once a week. Considering the fact that we were under the age 10 when this trend started, it was quite a feat for little girls… but I absolutely loved how furniture placement made a room feel like an entirely new space. I even arranged furniture in my doll house and then taped it to the floor so that my sister wouldn’t mess it up. Let’s just say my type-A, furniture loving personality was destined for interior design from a very young age.

If I wasn’t a designer I’d be… A high school math teacher and cheerleading coach.

Emi with her little sister, Melanie

Random thing I’m good at… Backflips

Favorite meal to cook (or enjoy!)… This doesn’t really count as a meal but my favorite thing to make in the kitchen is any kind of cookie or cake. I started baking with my mom when I was very young and I have always loved it.

Every home needs… Organization and at least one or two antiques.

Favorite furniture store in Atlanta… Bungalow Classic

Favorite restaurant… Acre in Auburn, Alabama – I’m partial for a lot of special reasons but you should definitely try it if you ever get a chance to visit the Plains.

You couldn’t pay me to… Swim with sharks. Never will I ever.

My perfect day… Put me on the beach or on a boat in the middle of the lake with my friends and family and I’m the happiest girl in the world.

Guilty of spending too much money on… My wedding…….

If I could travel anwhere, it would be… Bora Bora and I would stay in one of those huts with a thatch roof in the middle of the ocean and drink strawberry daiquiris all day!

My biggest pet peeve is… Messiness. I’m a neat freak.

My latest addicition is… Embossing anything that will fit into my new embosser including about 1,000 cocktail napkins for my wedding.

How cute is this engagement picture?! 

We love having Emi as a part of our team. She keeps everything running smoothly and always with a smile on her face! We hope you enjoyed getting to know her a little better. Look forward to meeting the rest of the team in the weeks to come!

New Project :: Penthouse

Happy Friday!

We wanted to update you on a fun new project we have. We are helping renovate and decorate this beautiful penthouse right on Peachtree. Our clients are moving here from their beautiful Henri Jova home in Ansley Park. After a quick walk through, we are eager to get started!

Look at that view!

Kitchen renovation in progress, Melanie is sketching some quick ideas.

What a beautiful fireplace

How incredible is this space?! And this is just a sneak peek of more to come! We'll keep you updated as we progress. Be on the lookout!