Photograph by Jeff Herr
When Jerry and Alicia McVeigh got married in 2015, they wanted a fresh start for their family, including Jerry’s two daughters, Marissa and Brianna. They found a new home being built in Kennesaw and hired interior designer Kathryn McAdams of the Meriwether Design Group to make every detail unique, from high-end lighting to custom millwork. “It looks like every other house on the street from outside,” says Kathryn. “But when you walk in, it’s not. Defining the spaces as individual and special, while still being connected, was a wonderful challenge.”
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
It was also paramount that the home look finished when it was time to move in, with no outstanding projects or to-do lists. Still, rather than repurposing a hodgepodge of items from the family’s previous residences, Kathryn started from scratch. “Everything was new. The only thing we kept was a sofa we recovered for the master bedroom sitting area,” she says. Through careful sourcing—with a mix of vintage, new, and custom pieces—the finished effect feels curated and collected.
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
The interior has moments of all-out glamour. Case in point: The dining room, with paneled walls painted a rich black, is accented with a pair of glossy gold stripes to echo the gilded Strada chandelier by Kelly Wearstler. “The McVeighs know what they love. They’re very trusting and they gave me a lot of leeway,” says Kathryn, who further pushed the envelope with a deep green for the owners’ bedroom.
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Despite the dramatic touches, the family wanted to feel at ease. “We didn’t want anything to feel untouchable,” says Alicia. To allay concerns over future spills, Kathryn chose performance upholstery and easy-clean fabrics such as Crypton and Sunbrella, even for indoor pieces. “I design rooms where there’s a place to put your drink at every seat and where you don’t have to worry about [spilling] red wine,” she says.
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
Photograph by Jeff Herr
That forethought came in handy, as the couple welcomed their son, Sebastian, during the pandemic. Naturally, Kathryn designed his nursery to be as functional, clever, and low-maintenance as the rest of the home. “People underestimate the finishes—furniture, draperies, art, and lighting,” she says. “Any house can be turned into a magical wonderland with those things.”
RESOURCES | Interior design Kathryn McAdams, Meriwether Design Group, meriwetherdesigngroup.com, Builder The Providence Group, theprovidencegroup.com, Living room Sofa and upholstered chairs: Meriwether Design Group, meriwetherdesigngroup.com. Window treatments (fabric): F. Schumacher, fschumacher.com. Overhead lighting, floor lamps: Circa Lighting, circalighting.com. Black chair: Lee Industries, leeindustries.com. Kitchen Pendant lights: Circa Lighting. Appliances: Subzero Wolf, subzero-wolf.com/wolf. Range hood, bar stools: Meriwether Design Group. Rug: vintage. Tile/backsplash: Floor and Decor, flooranddecor.com. Family room Sofa: Wesley Hall, wesleyhall.com. Leather bench: Meriwether Design Group. Overhead lighting, sconces: Circa Lighting. Horse art: Meriwether Design Group. Entryway Art: custom and vintage. Table: Meriwether Design Group. Lamp: Circa Lighting. Dining room Table: discontinued. Painting, side chairs, window treatments: Meriwether Design Group. Light fixtures: Circa Lighting. Host chairs: Lee Industries. Wall paint: “Domino,” Sherwin-Williams, sherwinwilliams.com. Owners’ bedroom Bed: Meriwether Design Group. Chandelier, bedside lighting: Circa Lighting. Pillows and bedding: Sferra, sferra.com. Italian marble cube: antique/vintage.
This article appears in our Winter 2021 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
