When Nancy and Gene Hooff purchased their Atlanta home in 1995 the backyard was full of bamboo, but they saw how much potential it had to be a stunning outdoor living space.
They worked with Pope Garden Design to craft the space in stages, first making the pebbled terrace usable, then creating a grassy area for their children to play in, who were 1 and 4 when they moved into their home, and eventually pushing the bamboo back even farther to create a pool and cabana area.
“We use our outdoor space for birthdays, Easter egg hunts, I’ve used it for nonprofit events. We fight over who’s going to have a party on the weekends, the kids or us.
“We’re out there constantly,” said Nancy.
They also renovated the master suite, the upstairs bedrooms, the kitchen and the sunroom.
“It sure lends itself to more parties than it used to,” said Nancy. “The backside of the house acts as one big space.”
The sunroom became an extension of that outdoor space. When the couple accidentally cracked a sunroom window they took that as an opportunity to renovate the room, replacing the windows with iron doors and windows.
“The doors in my sunroom can fully open up to that patio,” said Nancy. “It really can open up and feel like a bigger room. Which we do at Easter.”
Snapshot
Residents: Nancy and Gene Hooff and their soft-coated Wheaten Terrier, Melvin. Gene is a real estate appraiser, and Nancy is an assistant for Carter Kay Interiors.
Location: Atlanta
Size: 3,000 square feet, with 4 bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms
Year built: 1930
Year bought: 1995
Renovations: Kitchen renovation/reconfiguration, master bedroom addition, guest bedroom and bathroom addition
Consultants: Architect Norman Davenport Askins, William B. Litchfield Residential Designs Inc., Carter Kay Interiors and Pope Garden Design.
Architectural style: Norman cottage
Favorite architectural elements: Iron doors and windows in the sunroom and plaque over the front door depicting grape vines.
Interior design styles: Traditional with hints of farmhouse and transitional
Favorite interior design elements: Sectional sofa in the sunroom from Corn Upholstery Company and zebra rug in the living room.
Favorite outdoor feature: Pool and cabana with seating and TV
Resources: Furniture and decor from Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts, Currey & Co., Lee Industries, Corn Upholstery Company, Travis & Company, Romo, Kilim Collection, Anthropologie, The Land of Nod, Crate & Barrel, The Brumby Chair Company, Pierce Martin, Myers Carpet, Barter & Galambos and Sutherland Furniture. Art by Clem Bedwell, David Baerwalde, Katie Walker, Gordon Chandler, Jason Craighead, Michi Meko, Rich Gere, Guillaume Bourquin, Sally King Benedict, Rocio Rodriguez, Paul Benjamin, Michael Gibson, Lucy Currie, Todd Murphy, Bojana Ginn, Maggie Davis, Pinkney Herbert, Jack Leigh, Will Kay and Ben Roosevelt.
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If you have a beautifully designed home in the Atlanta area, we’d love to feature you! Email Shannon.N.Dominy@gmail.com for more info.
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