When a project has Tammy Connor at the helm, it’s clear from the very beginning that the designer’s trademark ability to introduce treasured antiques in livable, modern ways will transform and invigorate. Case in point: this historic Beaux Arts estate on Buckhead’s Tuxedo Road—a masterpiece completed by preeminent Georgia architect Philip Trammell Shutze in the early 20th century—that Connor’s Atlanta clients asked her to restore and revitalize.
The wife envisioned living among family heirlooms in a less fussy way than she had during childhood, and a pivotal sourcing trip to her ancestral homes in Europe endowed the Charleston- and Birmingham-based designer with a trove of meaningful heirlooms she could conceive anew. In the library, a Sarouk rug and 18 th -century chinoiserie screen became focal points for the space, driving its palette, style and mood. Connor collaborated with architect Stan Dixon to seamlessly integrate the tall screen into Shutze’s exquisite casework, aided by new bespoke bookshelves enrobed in peacock blue.
To cultivate an immersive experience, designer Tammy Connor approaches historical projects with equal parts reverence and reinvention: Rooms incorporating antiques are intimate and inviting rather than precious or off-limits. Styling by Anita Sarsidi.
To underscore the room’s welcoming purpose—the couple use it both for entertaining and as a serene retreat—Connor carved out a surprise pocket bar tucked within the intricate millwork. The clandestine cabinetry conceals walls lined with lush persimmon linen velvet, emphasizing the designer’s penchant for fabulous fabrics and bestowing a touch of luxury that whispers demurely. “This textile felt warmer and cozier to me than lacquer, and there’s just something about a sound-absorbing upholstered wall that I love for a quiet space,” the designer explains. Even when incorporating such sumptuous elements, “We choose not to take things too seriously, applying details in a way where it’s a little bit of a surprise,” Connor notes. “There needs to be some humor in a design, a little whimsy.”