Time & Again

Photographer:

Erica George Dines

Author:

Jennifer Boles

“It must be the house.” That’s how Atlanta designer Margaret Bosbyshell explains her good fortune in decorating one stately Atlanta home for two consecutive families. For her first foray at this house, Margaret worked solo. But a few years later, when hired by current homeowners Gigi and Chris Rouland, Margaret was joined by her new design partner, daughter Clary Bosbyshell Froeba.

Although the home’s interiors (first published in the May 2009 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles) were previously inspired by the great decorator Dorothy Draper, this time it was the work of another female phenom, Kelly Wearstler, who prompted the home’s edgy flair. Graphic rugs, geometric-print fabrics and a black-and-white color scheme punctuated by jewel tones all speak to the homeowners’ adventurous spirits.

Considering the vigor that these bold furnishings brought to the house, the mother-daughter duo instinctively knew that refined, elegant pieces were needed for balance. Their admiration for antiques and important 20th-century furniture because of their romance and history led the designers to introduce the Roulands to furniture designed by famed French design firm Maison Jansen. Peppering the home are two cocktail tables, a pair of commodes and a sideboard that all bear the Jansen stamp, an added bonus, says Margaret, to the furniture’s good looks and excellent quality.

For all of the home’s dashing features, it is supremely livable, thanks in no small part to a generous helping of comfortable furniture and durable fabrics. Both real and faux leather (which can be easily cleaned) and Sunbrella fabrics serve as armor-like upholstery, able to withstand the exuberance of the family’s two young daughters and their dog, Grits. The lifestyles of the couple are very much in evidence, too, with his dark, masculine library-cum-office at one end of the house and her trellised ladies’ drinking parlor on the other, a suitable spot for charity committee meetings and, at times, a cocktail or two.

Describing their working relationship, Margaret notes, “We might butt heads, but when all is said and done, we agree that we must both be proud of [our work].” And mother and daughter are in complete agreement that this house is something to be proud of—for the second time.

INTERIOR DESIGN Margaret Bosbyshell and Clary Bosbyshell Froeba, Margaux Interiors Ltd. margauxinteriorslimited.com