Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Building on collections and making it a home

When you step into Christi Estes’ home, your eyes will open wide at two stories of lush apple green in the entryway. But it wasn’t always that way. The Newnan home, a 1956 two-story Georgian, originally was built by the owners of the Times-Herald. Hanging on her entry wall are black and white photos of her home’s construction from back issues of the paper.

The entryway wasn’t the only room needing personalizing.

Take the dining room. While it had hardwood floors, and charming built-in cabinets in two corners, it also had floral wallpaper above the chair rail and a pink shell color below.

“It wasn’t our thing, but it was pretty,” explained Estes, one of six full-time designers with Panoply, a full service interior design company in Newnan.

Estes founded her re-design for her dining room on a collection of Spode “Woodland” dishes. Estes’ husband, who owns a landscaping company, received them as gifts beginning at his 16th birthday, from his mother, Martha Ann Parks, the designer who owns Panoply.

“They have woodland animals and a traditional chocolate rose border.” said Estes. Panoply doesn’t keep them in stock, but is able to special order it for bridal registry or interested clients.

First they stripped the wallpaper, then painted the ceiling a subtle shade of blue, meant to invoke a pale sky. Estes wanted the look of an expensive handpainted wallpaper. “I wanted that quality, but a regional landscape. I knew I could work with Panoply’s faux and mural painter. He painted oaks, cattails, a lake.”

Featured prominently on her creme-painted, antiqued, and distressed sideboard and in her two white painted built-ins are the Woodland dishes. “I accented the dishes with pottery and flea market finds in the same theme. I didn’t find them all at once. It’s been years of collecting. You can mix inexpensive and expensive if you do it correctly.”

She painted the backs of the shelves of the built-ins a shade of green, so that the dishes would contrast.

“Lighting is important. I have a dimmer, and for softer lighting I use 40-watt bulbs.”

The table was purchased with the house. “The tablecloth was vintage, from my mom. The soup tureen is a Lakewood find, and the dried hydrangea is from the yard,” said Estes.

In her previous home, Estes had double window with workable draperies. Since the color schemes were compatible, and there was no privacy need, Estes split the panels and added the swag valances at the top.

Working around beloved collections is something Estes has done in her work with Panoply, as well. “I have a client with a huge collection of green and pink depression glass. Her whole kitchen was worked around that. The style of the cabinets became more vintage, as did the window treatments.”

“Everything we do is personalized,” said Estes. “I also do commercial work, like the award-winning F& M Bank historical design in Newnan.”

Christi Estes didn’t start out working for Panoply. She was a successful commercial designer in Atlanta before tiring of the long commute.

Her historical design isn’t limited to banks. “I’m working on an antebellum home in Marietta. It’s on the Marietta Christmas Tour of Homes. She had most of her furnishings already. We’ve been fabricating window treatments and bedding and reupholstering furniture.”

Like in her formal dining room, Estes utilized her existing furnishings in her formal living room. “I wanted to use original artwork, and mix in traditional and eclectic elements as well. I made a few major purchases when we moved.”

She requested and bought a chinoisserie piece from the1940s from an antique store, for $1400. She found bargain original artwork at estate sales and the like. The watercolor painting above her mantle was only $10. Two original asian paintings on either side of her fireplace were $35 each. She had all three framed with good materials.

“To start from scratch on a living room that accomodates seating for eight, $10,000 is a reasonable budget for everything, including window treatments, furniture and accessories. Invest as much as you can in a quality piece of furniture, but stay within your budget,” said Estes.

Estes emphasizes that there are ways to get around some budget constraints. “We can do creative furniture layout or use existing pieces. If your budget is $5,000, we can maximize what you have. We can work with anyone’s budget.”

For household harmony, Estes suggests weaving a color scheme throughout the home. “The exceptions are bedrooms or rooms that are isolated.”

Estes has two young children, including a daughter, Sara Ashley, who just turned 2. In the nursery, Estes brought back her own childhood Wizard of Oz collection. The mural and custom bedding reflect the palate found in the collection. “I used ready-made window treatments, and added fabric to customize.” This is not a formal room, but a lived-in one, with comfort in mind.

Not to discourage the potential client who might hear about all these perfect rooms, and be dismayed, know that Estes’ children have a disaster area of a playroom. She attempts to straighten it once a week. She also has a comfortable family room, casually designed in Americana, and a kitchen that she hasn’t had the budget to overhaul.

She believes in doing it right, and plans on living in her home for a long time. She’s been a designer for nine years. Christi Estes knows that when her budget permits, she’ll still be able to decorate her kitchen beautifully.

In 1988, Martha Ann Parks opened Panoply in Newnan, serving greater metro Atlanta. A design professional for over 28 years, Parks and her team provide customized interior design and consulting, and a retail showroom, open to the public.

Parks is proud of the level of quality and service her team gives to local clients. “Together with our clients, we create a space in which they can enjoy being themselves.”

Panoply is located at 16 Greenville St. just off the square in Newnan. For a consultation or directions to the showroom, call 770-251-4557.

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