French goes Modern: How interior designer Carole Carter Malloy designed her Atlanta condo

“We wanted the apartment to feel like an old Parisian apartment that had been updated, with historic details like plaster walls, intricate trim, and French oak chevron floors,” she says.

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Carole Carter Malloy
The bones of the Malloys’ living room rely on a minimalist design approach and sophisticated architectural touches, but many key features were inspired by Europe. The hand-carved marble fireplace was created by an artist in Spain, and the white-oak chevron floors are from France. Low-slung Italian furniture is from Context Gallery.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

“I get a lot of inspiration from commercial projects,” says interior designer Carole Carter Malloy. “I’m drawn to masculine textures like brick, steel, glass, and wood.” So, when she was finishing her raw-space apartment on the 15th floor of the St. Regis in 2018, she kept coming back to places like Ponce City Market, Barcelona Wine Bar, and Sid and Ann Mashburn’s stores. After a year of searching, she discovered the same person, architect Mark Blair, had helped design them all. At the time, he wasn’t available for residential projects, but he connected Carole with his architect wife, Sarah. (The two Georgia Tech grads now have their own residential and commercial firm, Curious Projects.)

Carole Carter Malloy
Carole (shown here) and her college-age children, Zoe and Scout, enjoy the St. Regis on a whole different level than most visitors. “Our kids grew up in their teen years in a hotel, which meant Nerf wars in the big ballroom with friends, elevator races, and sleepovers here,” says Carole. “Zoe took her guitar lessons in the lobby, and Scout often did his homework on the fourth floor.” Carole herself spent early years working in five-star California hotels like the Peninsula Beverly Hills and Shutters on the Beach, so she was thrilled to be on the receiving end of the business.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Carole Carter Malloy
A covered porch off the kitchen offers al fresco opportunities for entertaining.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Carole Carter Malloy
A metal fireplace surround made by artisan Andrew Crawford adds an industrial touch to the office.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Adding another layer to that industrial look, Sarah took a French Modernist approach. “We wanted the apartment to feel like an old Parisian apartment that had been updated, with historic details like plaster walls, intricate trim, and French oak chevron floors,” she says. Touches like Louis XIV–inspired moulding and subtly rounded corners where walls and ceiling join helped soften the 5,000-plus square foot space. Marble permeates the house, notably in the kitchen, bathrooms, and bar area.

Carole Carter Malloy
A brick-lined fireplace and TV niche define a corner of the primary bedroom. Bedding from Peacock Alley is topped by a fringe throw from Dixon Rye. Bedside chests are from Stanton Home Furnishings, and the bench is from Anthropologie, with artwork by Carrie Penley (by window) and Zoe Malloy (above bed).

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Carole Carter Malloy
The primary bath is situated to enjoy a great view, so Carole uses hidden electronic shades—here and throughout the home—for privacy when needed. The windows flood the room with natural light. Floor-to-ceiling marble gives it a timeless look.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Carole Carter Malloy
A Serena & Lily bed is elegantly situated in an architectural niche in daughter Zoe’s bedroom. Vintage midcentury lamps top a custom bedside chest.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Offsetting all this elegance, iron doors and windows add the desired industrial touch. Italian sofas, sculptural light fixtures, and art done by Carole’s daughter, Zoe, or friends and family such as Bruce Bobick, Maddie Grace Maierhofer, Lyall Penley, Jerry Chappell, Steve Penley, Carrie Penley, Tim McClain, and Rob Matre finish the look. An antique gilded mirror in the living room opens accordion-style for access to a TV.

Carole Carter Malloy
“We actually do play a lot of ping-pong as a family,” says Carole, who commissioned a custom game/dining table from Georgia artisans Venture Games. “We knew living in a condo that we’d need something to do together.” Sliding doors—topped with abstract paintings done by Carole and her son, Scout—reveal the bar area or keep the look uncluttered. The expansive light fixture is from Lindsey Adelman.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

Carole Carter Malloy
Modern lines show off white oak and calacatta gold marble in the kitchen. Furniture artisan Skylar Morgan made the cabinetry.

Photograph by Kelly Blackmon

A custom walnut dining table, which doubles as a ping-pong tabletop, was chosen both for style and family fun. Behind it, retractable doors painted by Carole and her son, Scout, open to reveal the bar.

The Malloys enjoy the amenities of the St. Regis hotel, including their beloved room service. “We have a good time together, since we designed this with a public area and a private area in a manner that sort of forces us to hang out,” says Carole.

RESOURCES | Architect Sarah Blair, AIA, Curious Projects, curious-projects.com Interior design Carole Malloy and Michael Berzsenyi, Josephine Design House, josephinedesignhouse.com Contractor The Berndsen Company, berndsen.com Entry Metal doors: RG Ironworks, rgironworks.com. Living room Sofa and chairs: Context Gallery, contextgallery.com. Dining room Table/ping-pong table: Venture Games, ventureshuffleboard.com. Benches by table: Jackson Builders, 770-712-1342. Light fixture: Lindsey Adelman Studios, lindseyadelman.com. Kitchen Cabinets: Skylar Morgan Furniture, skylarmorganfurniture.com. Owners’ bedroom Bedside chests: Noir Furniture, noirfurniturela.com. Bed: RH, rh.com. Bedding: Peacock Alley, peacockalley.com. Fringe throw: Dixon Rye, dixonrye.com. Bench: Anthropologie, anthropologie.com. Rug: Eliko Rugs, elikorugs.com. Small art: Carrie Penley, carriepenleyart.com. Porch Chairs: West Elm, westelm.com. Powder room Light: Arteriors, arteriors.com. Foyer Gate: Ironworks International Inc., ironworksintl.net. Daughter’s bedroom Bed: Serena & Lily, serenaandlily.com. Bench: Stanton Home Furnishings, stantonhomefurnishings.com.

This article appears in our Winter 2021 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.

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