Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Amanda and Mark Kresch and their children—six-year-old Mina and four-year-old Adreain—can step out the door of their condo and easily walk to the High Museum, the Piedmont Park farmers market, and any destination along the BeltLine. The family traded their big Ansley Park house for high-rise life, where there’s no yard maintenance or remodeling project vying for their attention. A 24-hour concierge is available to help with day-to-day logistics. “I had such a deep desire to simplify our life,” says Amanda.
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
The Midtown condo they bought, in a building constructed in 1952 and converted to condos in 2001, was actually two units combined by a previous owner. It’s 2,700 square feet—much smaller than their previous home—but Amanda feels that’s just right. “Even when we lived in bigger houses, we only really spent time in about 2,500 square feet of the main rooms,” she points out.
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Interior designer Elle Cantrell was given free rein to transform the space into an up-to-date family home with plenty of storage and practical space-planning, which now includes built-ins, custom bunk-beds, and other smart ideas. The family sold their more traditional furniture to start new with furnishings, light fixtures, and art more befitting the space—although they kept some sentimental favorites.
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
“Amanda told me she wanted the condo to be urban and luxe and sexy—but practical for their family,” recalls Cantrell. The sophisticated living room features performance fabrics on every chair, sofa, and bench, so that even tomato sauce or red wine spills can be easily cleaned up (which Amanda tested on some swatches). The large dining area doubles as a game room. Amanda found a glass dining table with a removable net and acrylic top that cleverly converts from a mealtime spot to a competitive Ping-Pong setting in a moment. “When we have people over for dinner, everyone can’t wait to clear the table and switch to games,” Amanda says, who admits that “champagne pong” is a favorite pastime with her 30-something friends.
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Photograph by Marc Mauldin
Amanda’s parents were the most skeptical of the family’s radical lifestyle change, but Amanda got the last laugh. Her parents just sold their Buckhead house and rented a condo in the same building.
This article appears in our Fall 2018 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
