With a wraparound porch and antique and reclaimed touches throughout, Kate and Dave Breslin’s new bungalow was designed to blend in with its neighbors.
“Our home is in one of Decatur’s historic districts – and even though it’s new, it fits right into the neighborhood alongside all the older, truly historic homes,” said Kate.
Front columns and brick accents also match other homes in the Old Decatur Historic District, many of which were built in the 1920s. When the Breslins moved in, many of their guests assumed their bungalow was nearly 100 years old, too.
“I loved it when people asked about the ‘renovation,’” Breslin said.
Snapshot
Residents: Dave and Kate Breslin, their daughters Avery, 9, and Jane, 7, and their dog, Romeo. Dave is a software consultant at SAP Concur, and Kate is a marketing consultant at Trinity Mercantile & Design.
Location: Decatur
Size: 3,100 square feet, four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
Year built: 2015
Architectural style: Bungalow
Favorite architectural elements: The vintage transom in the dining room, reclaimed wood arched ceiling in the master bathroom hallway and wraparound porch.
Project consultants: Patrick Lockman of Lockman Homebuilding Co., Mike DeCarlo of DeCarlo Hawker Architecture & Design, Tony Long of Stone Mountain Construction, Lisa Turner and Wallace Bryan of Trinity Mercantile & Design, Tena Herbik of Design Accents Unlimited, Rick Jones of Jones/Ellas Design, Pam Dooley of Plants Creative Landscapes and Marie Mealor (framing)
Interior design style: Transitional, with pops of color
Favorite interior design elements: Custom furniture, like the office console by Trinity Mercantile & Design, reupholstered dining room chairs and a chair in Avery's room, and vintage pieces, such as a Queen Anne chair and bureau from Kate's grandmother, and Kate's childhood furniture.
Favorite outdoor elements: The wraparound porch with three seating areas and room for a casino craps table, and the backyard "dollhouse." The playhouse was there when the Breslins bought the land from their neighbors, who built the playhouse for their own children. Kate and Dave gave it a fresh coat of paint, and their neighbors spruced up the house's original bench for Avery and Jane.
Resources: Furniture from Trinity Mercantile & Design, West Elm, RH, Scott Antique Market, Vanguard, CRLaine, Bernhardt, Jonathan Adler and Bungalow Classic. Lighting from Progressive Lighting, Circa Lighting, Holtkotter Lighting and Bradburn. Counters and tiles from Construction Resources.
Decor tip: Reuse and repurpose drapery. Kate added length to curtains from their previous master bedroom and used them in their new guest room along with a matching bedskirt. Their daughters choose new trim, from Lewis & Sheron Textiles, to freshen up linen panels that are now in their bedrooms. "I've put a lot of thought and care into the things I selected for my home and when I moved from one house to another there were things I still loved," said Kate. "So it was very important to me to find ways to make them work in my new house."
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