Paul and Laura Baird with their nine-year-old daughter, Lily, and dachshund, Blubelle, on their back porch addition.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Early in her career, interior designer Laura Walker Baird lived around the world, dealing antiques. In 2006, she and her husband, rug guru Paul Baird, along with partner Kent Schneider, opened Verde Home on the Westside, now a go-to for custom rugs and Farrow & Ball paint. It’s no wonder the Bairds’ “groovy ranch” in Morningside is a collection of new and old, custom and shoppable.
Laura and Paul Baird opened up the wall between the living and dining rooms, separating the spaces with an American Leather tufted couch. The custom shelves are by Skylar Morgan Furniture, and the chandelier, which Laura painted white for a modern pop, is from Italy. The vintage dining room chairs came off Verde’s showroom floor. “After a while, if it doesn’t sell, we just bring it home,” Laura laughs. “We stock what we like—we’d put any of it in our own home.”
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Architectural tweaks Without a major addition, the Bairds added space by bumping out interior walls and vaulting the living-room ceiling, which felt in keeping with the 1950s architecture. They extended the master bedroom onto a porch and cantilevered the master bath.
The Bairds expanded onto an existing porch to enlarge the master bedroom, creating a feeling of sleeping in the trees with a view of Peachtree Creek below. Farrow & Ball “Studio Green” enhances the effect. The wallpaper on the ceiling is Farrow & Ball “Tourbillon,” and the artwork above the bed is by Roxane Hollosi from Kai Lin Art.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
The Bairds kept the original wooden cabinets in the kitchen, dressing them up in Sherwin-Williams “Mallard Green,” as well as an existing Corian countertop. “It’s kind of coming back,” says Laura of the material. “It’s impermeable—you can get anything out of it.” She added hardware from Anthropologie, new appliances, and a marble slab from Marmi Stone on the central counter. The rug is a Verde Home design. Family dachshund Blubelle peeks around the corner.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Custom creations Verde Home designs and manufactures graphic, modern rugs, which add interest to the Bairds’ floors.
New colors Laura used the rich, olive green “Bancha” from Farrow & Ball’s latest release in the dining room, “Cord” in the hallway, and “Studio Green” in the master.
Laura added a barn door to the hallway to the bedrooms to create more privacy and covered it in a gilded wallpaper. The bench is vintage—a trade with a friend.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Creature comforts The couches are made for sitting—even sleeping. Verde offers American Leather furniture, from sleek sleeper sofas to high-tech, high-style recliners.
A coat of gray paint over the brick exterior and a period-appropriate, punchy front door in Farrow & Ball “Charlotte’s Locks” upped the ranch’s curb appeal.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Laura chose the Style Library “Cranes in Flight” wallpaper from Grizzel & Mann to connect to their views of nature. “I wanted it to be soothing, so I didn’t want a lot of color,” she says. The tile is from Moda Floors & Interiors, the mirrors are Rejuvenation, and the light fixture is from Currey & Co. The cabinets are by Timberland Cabinets.
Photograph by Ryan Hayslip
Old collections Key antiques come from Laura’s early career. Pairing pieces like a French oak armoire and a teak Balinese console give the home an organic vibe.
SHOP THE LOOK Visit Verde Home for rugs, wallpaper, and tropical-chic Selamat Designs
