Hot Shop: Nandina

Easy, elegant, and versatile—just like its namesake evergreen
1929

Photograph by Patrick Heagney

Nowhere in the city will you find a greater architectural range than in Inman Park—where homes vary from grand Victorian mansions to mid-rise condos. The contrast doesn’t faze Nandina Home & Design, a home furnishings store and interior design studio that opened in the neighborhood last year. Mix-and-don’t-match is the best formula for every genre, according to store owner and designer John Ishmael.

“Atlanta is very design savvy these days,” Ishmael says. “Our clients are looking for a cleaner aesthetic that combines traditional elements with a modern twist.” Case in point: a living room Ishmael recently worked on in an Inman Park bungalow, where he mixed a charcoal, silk-velvet-blend sofa with an antique industrial factory cart–turned–coffee table, then added the homeowners’ folk art collection for a bit of whimsy to offset the heavier pieces.

Nandina—named after the low-maintenance evergreen shrub—also stresses livable style. The store’s “real life, real style” motto affirms that “kids, dogs, parties, and life do happen, and no one needs to skimp on glamorous living because of them.”

Ishmael adds, “We can design and furnish a whole house, make a single window treatment, or sell just a candle.” Furnishings on the floor include a mirrored nightstand for $865, a shag rug at $189, and a set of Foo dog table lamps around $660. Designers are available to handle both space-planning and installation.

Evening events like the monthly Wine and Design series, on topics such as accessorizing or art collecting, bring neighbors together and promote local artists. 6170 Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, 404-521-9303, nandinahome.com

This article originally appeared in our June 2011 issue and was updated in 2017 to reflect Nandina’s new address.

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