Private Quarters: Wine cellar, whiskey room in Buckhead townhome

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Wine cellar, whiskey room in Buckhead townhome

The homeowners purchased what was essentially a skeleton, then seized the opportunity to turn the 5,500 square feet home into exactly what they wanted.

Bricks from Duncan, Miss., didn't require any special finish when used in the Buckhead townhome. "I had bought those bricks really several years ago with the understanding I was going to do something with them," said homeowner Edward Labry III. "They add so much character." The custom linen sofa needed to be big enough to fit the homeowners and their dog, Flynne, said Kimberly Labry.--Text by Lori Johnston

A wood and rod iron coffee table from Bungalow Classic connects with the beam ceiling in the living room and iron windows and door in the kitchen. There were no walls when the homeowners purchased the townhome in 2011, and they didn't add a barrier between the living room and kitchen when finishing out the interiors.

An oil on canvas over the limestone fireplace is by Antionio Massa. The couple purchased it in 2013 in Ravello, Italy. The walls are made of brick from old buildings in Duncan, Miss.

Venetian plaster walls are the only artwork needed in the dining room, which has family pieces including a sideboard and mirror and new items such as the Dessin Fournir chandelier from Grizzel & Mann in the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. The sideboard and mirror have been together for over a couple hundred years, said homeowner Edward Labry III, who inherited these and other pieces.

Teal leather chairs from Kings Home Furnishings add a modern, hip twist that breaks up the formality of the dining room, which has walls of Venetian plaster.

The kitchen is equipped for people who enjoy cooking, with a double oven with warming drawer, refrigerated drawers, Sub-Zero refrigerator and Wolf gas range. Plus, there's the deep fryer, which is used to make everything from chicken wings to fried asparagus.

The homeowners moved forward with the kitchen design, including the L-shaped island, after talking about how each drawer would be used and mocking it up out of plywood to test the flow. They were able to incorporate brick, wood, marble, rod iron and glass in the kitchen.

The secretary belonging to the family of homeowner Edward Labry III is nestled into an alcove in his Buckhead townhome. While they used hardwood floors, the couple also placed area rugs throughout for the cozy interiors they desired.

Meaningful accessories in the Buckhead townhome include birds that were hand-carved by a relatives of homeowner Edward Labry III.

Brick walls, a rod iron stairwell and barrel vault ceilings create the cozy feel that the homeowners desired for their Buckhead townhome. Paul James' painting, called "Spray it Again Charlie," was purchased in Aspen, Colo., in 2013.

In the foyer, an oil by American realist painter Everett Shinn was purchased at an estate sale by a family member of Edward Labry III, and the piece joins other artwork including a portrait by French artist Atelier Jeremy Kleinberg in the wood-paneled whiskey room.

A horizontal painting by Vladimir Kush bought in 1998 at his gallery in Maui is one of two pieces by Kush in the home (the other is in the foyer). It's set against walnut walls in the whiskey room.

Individual blocks of walnut were customized to create the grid in the whiskey room. Vintage Lumber, based in Gay, installed and hand-finished the wood after homeowners Kimberly and Edward Labry III saw the design in a magazine. "Anybody that comes in this house says they've never seen anything like it," Edward said.

In the whiskey room, the painting of the woman is by Atelier Jeremy Kleinberg, which the homeowners purchased from his gallery in Saint Paul de Vence, France, in 2013.

One of the furniture and accessories with a story is the Jameson Irish Whiskey barrel in the wine cellar. The couple was on a tour of the facility in Dublin, Ireland, when homeowner Edward Labry III asked if he could have a barrel and learned about the extensive aging process that each barrel goes through. A friend on the trip offered to give Labry one of his barrels, and it was shipped fully assembled to Atlanta.

The wine cellar in the basement is filled to capacity with 1,500 bottles, many of which are from Napa, Calif. Sometimes the couple hosts dinners in the wine cellar, where the metal was hand-welded by Lipko Iron Work, based in Canton.

A distinctive architectural feature in the Buckhead townhome is the barrel vault ceilings, which frames rooms such as the master bathroom with Calcutta gold marble floors, countertops and tub surround.

One slab of Calcutta gold marble surrounds the tub from Waterworks. Construction on the master bathroom was delayed with the marble shipment was halted after the 2012 earthquakes in Italy.

Architect Yong Pak designed the gray paneled master bathroom, which has a bathtub from Waterworks, fixtures from Ferguson, and Calcutta gold marble countertops and floors.

Flynne enjoys the master bedroom as much as owners Edward Labry III and Kimberly Labry, who brought a piece of art they purchased in Italy in 2013. The painting of ostriches is by Angelo Accardi, from his collection called "Misplaced." The bench and some of the bedding is custom-made by designer Linda Castle, who selected fabrics that worked with the painting.

The barrel vault ceiling was something they wanted in the dining room, and the architectural feature was extended into other spaces including the foyer, master bedroom, whiskey room and wine cellar. The living room, meanwhile, has a beamed ceiling.

Leading to the patio, there's a centerpiece window and door of rod iron and glass by Lipko Iron Work, based in Canton. The homeowners extended the kitchen but still retained space to entertain and barbecue outside, working with Viridis Garden Design.

Extending the kitchen into the patio enabled the homeowners to add a deck off the master bedroom of their Buckhead townhome. The door is made by Lipko Iron Work in Canton.

Extending the kitchen into the patio enabled the homeowners to add a deck off the master bedroom of their Buckhead townhome. The door is made by Lipko Iron Work in Canton.

A built-in grill and dining table and chairs on the patio of the Buckhead townhome creates an inviting area to entertain (they worked with Viridis Garden Design). Upstairs, there's a deck off the master bedroom. The stairs lead into the kitchen, which they expanded after working with architect Yong Pak.

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Bricks from Duncan, Miss., didn't require any special finish when used in the Buckhead townhome. "I had bought those bricks really several years ago with the understanding I was going to do something with them," said homeowner Edward Labry III. "They add so much character." The custom linen sofa needed to be big enough to fit the homeowners and their dog, Flynne, said Kimberly Labry.--Text by Lori Johnston

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