Francophile: As C’est Moi is inspired by French culture, it’s only fitting that Kolowich’s own home is likewise. The living room’s silver-leafed bamboo drapery rods and bergère upholstered in orange silk are both fabulously French.
World view: Kolowich warns that buying all French can become a bit stale, so she mixes global goods both in her store’s inventory and at home. Here, she has drapery fabric by Britain’s Trisha Guild in the living room, a replica of a terra-cotta soldier from China in the foyer, and a Moroccan mirror in the dining room.
Design sense: “I do like some modern thrown in, but it still has to be comfortable. Then again, give me a good old antique from France and I’m giddy with excitement.”
Shopping her shop: Many of Kolowich’s furnishings, from her hand-carved Aidan Gray candlesticks to the shell mirror in the foyer, are from C’est Moi. One of the perks of running your own store for twenty-one years is finding great accents for yourself.
Prized collections: “The French typically incorporate a lot of their travels into their design.” This mother of three keeps reminders of family vacations around her home, such as separate bowls of foreign coins and smooth sea glass.
Sweetest souvenir: Crosses hanging on a wall in the dining room are mementos from Texas, where Kolowich’s husband, Jim, went for cancer treatment last year.
Older than they appear: Worn hardwood floors and crystal doorknobs give her Marietta home a historic air, even though it’s only forty-five years old. “We also painted all the baseboards black, which, to me, gives the house an older feel.”
C’est Moi, 1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, 770-977-8468
This story originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Atlanta magazine
