Photograph by Emily Followill
Photograph b Emily Followill
Pink and green in a historic Druid Hills kitchen? Bring it on, says homeowner Katie Newsom, who has always loved preppy colors but didn’t expect to use them in her kitchen. She and her husband, Sedgie, originally planned a white kitchen, as would be traditional for their Mediterranean Revival house. “We wanted to make a modern version of a 1920s kitchen but still keep the historic feeling of the house,” says Newsom.
However, Newsom had bonded with her interior designer, Katie Rosenfeld, partly over a mutual love for bright colors. Rosenfeld is actually based in Massachusetts, but the two met online through a blog about chinoiserie. Surprisingly, they found they had both graduated from Boston College and had friends in common. Working long distance, the two Katies fell in love with a striking Osborne & Little fabric, “Maharani,” and its whimsical hot-pink-and-green pomegranate pattern became a starting point for the kitchen’s distinctive style.
“After we picked that fabric, I suggested to her that the backsplash be green,” says Rosenfeld. “It had that preppy vibe Katie loves, and looked great against the white.”
Because Sedgie (a dentist by day) is the main cook in the family, Newsom jokes that it’s his kitchen, and she just had the pleasure of decorating it. In other words, function and form were his-and-hers priorities. The original kitchen in the house—as was customary for the time period—was a small, dark space, which has now been remodeled into Katie Newsom’s home office. To create a light-filled, more efficient new kitchen, architect Frank Neely designed a multiroom addition on the back of the house. The oversized island, double dishwashers, and top-of-the-line appliances accommodate entertaining, says Newsom, such as Sedgie’s famous New Orleans–style dinners or her annual “Southern Supper” for friends and family.
Newsom, who is a lawyer, says her tactical skills came in handy throughout the process, as she and Sedgie negotiated features important to each of them. She got the green backsplash; he got a Thermador range. They both appreciate the large island and plenty of workspace.
Rosenfeld is also a fan of the spherical brass-and-white pendants. Brass accents appear throughout the kitchen as a nod to retro style. And Newsom loves to see the vintage brass bamboo chandelier—originally purchased by her mother in the 1970s— hanging in the breakfast room.
Saarinen oval dining table, from $5,081, Design Within Reach, 2451 Peachtree Road, dwr.com
Rohl Country Kitchen single-handle faucet in polished chrome, $718.05, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, 764 Miami Circle, ferguson.com
Classic cast iron brass cup pull in polished nickel, $8.19, House of Antique Hardware, houseofantiquehardware.com
“Rosemary Green” by Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com
Monaco barstools, from $2,290, Kravet, ADAC, kravet.com
“Maharani” by Osborne & Little, trade only, Ainsworth-Noah, ADAC, ainsworth-noah.com
Clayhaus 2” x 8” dill ceramic tile, $44.95 per square foot, Modwalls, modwalls.com
Isabella side chair by Century Chair, starting at $1,335, Mathews’ Furniture Galleries, 1240 West Paces Ferry Road, mathewsfurniture.com
Collector’s enameled cast iron 6-quart round casserole, Martha Stewart Collection, $150, Macy’s, macys.com
Resources
Photograph by Emily Followill
Backsplash tile: Custom green glass bricks, DiscoverTile. Range: Thermador. Brass pendants: Hicks by Thomas O’Brien (large), Visual Comfort. Window treatment fabric: “Maharani,” Osborne & Little. Hardware: House of Antique Hardware. Barstools: Monaco with Manuel Canovas indoor-outdoor fabric, Kravet. Breakfast room table: Saarinen pedestal table, Knoll. Dining chairs: Hoop-back chairs, Century Furniture; faux leather, Kravet. Butler’s pantry paint color: “Rosemary Green,” Benjamin Moore. Countertops: Alabama white marble, Bottega Stone. Faucet: Country Kitchen collection, Rohl.
This article originally appeared in the Summer issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
