Lindsey Johnson may have spent eight years living in New York City, but the cofounder and CEO of Weezie is a Southern girl at heart. If the popular luxury towel company’s name doesn’t immediately make you think of Steel Magnolias, then its custom monogramming, pastel colors, and classic embroidery motifs—all with playful twists on what’s traditional, like washcloths stitched with winking eyelashes—will transport you to a distinctly Southern place and time. That’s why it made sense for Johnson’s brand to put down roots in Atlanta, the city she calls her hometown, and for her to relocate her young family from Manhattan to be there, too.
The only catch? Making the big move happen during the pandemic. Johnson lucked out with a five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in Atlanta’s leafy, historical Memorial Park neighborhood, but she had to make the decision sight unseen. Her designer, Anna-Wooten Loggins of A.Wooten Interiors, actually saw the house in person before Johnson did. It was clear from the listing that the 2013 home, set in Atlanta’s Memorial Park neighborhood, had tons of potential. The exterior featured sweet, classical details like a column-lined front porch and a porte cochère, and the interior was well proportioned, if a bit more open concept than Johnson and her family wanted. It was just completely lacking in personality.
“The home was neutral with no special touches,” Loggins says. “We had to add the charm with new lighting, lots of paint and wallpaper, and, of course, furniture and window treatments.”
Part of that charm offensive was adjusting the house’s scale to feel more human and cozy as well as practical for two parents working from home for the foreseeable future. Together with contractors Alan Killebrew and Charles Gorman of Exterior Motives Contracting, Loggins’s team enclosed an office off the foyer to give it privacy, then dropped the ceiling in the foyer and added an archway for a more welcoming entrance. They also transformed the formal dining room into an adult lounge/game room and elevated the breakfast nook into a space that could work for any meal, including dinners with guests.
As for the remainder of the budget, naturally, it went to fabric, wallpaper, and furniture. “[Lindsey] is definitely a design lover,” Wooten says. As you might expect, “she loves and appreciates pretty textiles, and we did not skimp on fabrics or wallpaper, especially in all of the bathrooms.” Keep reading to steal her sources—you’re going to want them to bring a little Southern sunshine into your own home.
Entryway
The now-intimate foyer features a mural hand painted by Catherine Owen, accented by French doors, and trim painted in Vert de Terre by Farrow & Ball. Art: Kayla Plosz Antiel via Anne Irwin Fine Art. Rug: vintage from Scott’s Antique Market. Bench: vintage, Interiors Market.
Lounge/Game Room
Colors and prints reign in the former formal dining room, from the grasscloth walls painted in Mediterranean Teal by Benjamin Moore (a budget-friendly move by Loggins) to the coordinating Jasper Fabric upholstery on the Highland House armchairs. A vintage-style record player sits atop an antique dresser (left), and a family heirloom game table offers a second seating area (right).
Left: Art: Kit Porter (large piece, center), Kate Roebuck (series, right). Chandelier: vintage, from Peachtree Battle Antiques. Drapery: custom, in Martyn Lawrence Bullard fabric. Sofa: Lee Industries. Table lamp: Visual Comfort, with Fermoie shade. Acrylic side table: Gus Modern. Coffee table: Mathews Furniture. Right: Chairs: DWR, with cushions in Jasper Fabric. Rug: Underfoot Design.
Kitchen
The layout and foundation stayed the same—they just got a glow-up. “We wanted to make it feel like a brand-new kitchen without removing or changing the cabinets,” Loggins says. New white marble countertops and paint in pale blue-gray Benjamin Moore Quiet Moments (on the island) and classic White Dove (on the surrounding cabinets) gave it a fresh, clean feeling.
Pendants: Visual Comfort. Faucet: Rohl. Counter stools: Hollywood at Home, with cushions in Romo fabric.
Breakfast Room
Loggins’s team punched up the antique bamboo cane chairs (which she found through Parc Monceau Antiques) by having them hand painted in a faux tortoiseshell finish by Hayden Paints. “They turned out to be everyone’s favorite,” Loggins says.
Wallcovering: Peter Fasano. Chandelier: Visual Comfort. Sconces: Hudson Valley Lighting. Roman shade: custom, in Romo fabric. Dog: Moose.
Loggins had the Ottoline fabric for the seat cushions laminated for durability.
Bar
Previously an empty hallway between the kitchen and formal dining room, this hosting hub allows Johnson and her family to entertain in the lounge/game room without setting foot in the kitchen. “It became an important space” in the slightly shifted flow of the first floor, Loggins says. “We added a wine cooler and lots of open shelves to display glassware.”
Paint: Cedar Mountains by Benjamin Moore (on trim and cabinets). Wallpaper: Rebecca Atwood Designs. Pendant: Visual Comfort. Hardware: Alno.
Girl’s Bedroom
Sweet prints and pastels reign in Johnson’s daughter’s bedroom, from the Sister Parish wallpaper and Carolina Irving Textiles fabric on the headboard to custom curtains and a matching bolster pillow in Textiles by Smith fabric. The armchair in Brunschwig & Fils fabric is a hand-me-down from Johnson’s mom.
Left: Bedding: custom, The Linen Ladies. Lamp: Mainly Baskets, with custom shade by Edgar-Reeves Lighting. Nightstand: client’s own with new rattan knobs from Etsy. Right: Mirror: Fleur Home. Dresser: Villa & House. Lamp: Visual Comfort. Pillows: custom, in Heather Chadduck Textiles fabric (square) and Schumacher velvet.
Girl’s Bathroom
Peachy floral Christopher Farr Cloth wallpaper sets the tone for a feminine and fun space that’s designed to grow with her. Mirror: Webb Marsteller. Sconces: Vaughan Designs, with custom shades by Edgar-Reeves Lighting in Erika M. Powell Textiles fabric. Art: Bailey Schmidt via Gregg Irby Gallery. Towels and tissue box cover: Weezie.
Boy’s Room
Cheerful red accents in the textiles and wall art tie Johnson’s son’s room together.
Left: Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries. Framed print: Leslee Mitchell Art. Daybed: World Market. Pillows: custom, in Sister Parish, Schumacher, and Rogers & Goffigon fabric. Needlepoint pillows: vintage. Right: Drapery: custom, in Fermoie fabric. Drapery hardware: Iron Studio. Basket: Pottery Barn. Floor lamp: Visual Comfort, with custom shade. Chair: custom, in Schumacher fabric. Ottoman: Noah J. & Co. Grasscloth side table: Joseph Konrad. Art: Baby Braithwaite.
Primary Bathroom
Loggins replaced everything in all of the home’s bathrooms except for the vanity cabinets. Café curtains in Alex Conroy Textiles fabric set the color palette in Johnson’s own retreat. Vanity paint: Holiday Wreath by Benjamin Moore. Mirror: Mr. Brown Home. Chandelier: vintage, from The Big Chandelier. Sconces: The Urban Electric Co. Tile: The Builder Depot. Towels: Weezie.
Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries. Curtains: custom, in Alex Conroy Textiles fabric. Tub: Signature Hardware. Tub filler, fixtures and towel rack: Waterworks. Side table: vintage. Towels: Weezie.
Basement Bar
Loggins transformed the basement into a bright space with an entertaining space, a wine room, and a home gym (through the door at right). A custom white oak island with a soapstone countertop is set on casters so it can be rolled out of the way for darts games.
Tile: Clé Tile. Paint: Lichen by Farrow & Ball (on cabinets and trim). Sconces: Visual Comfort. Counter stools: Four Hands.
Q&A
House Beautiful: Did you encounter any memorable challenges or surprises during the project? How did you pivot?
Anna-Wooten Loggins: We started this project during Covid, so yes, we had many challenges. We started construction before the clients had even moved to Atlanta! All of our hiccups were easily overcome with a little creativity and a lot of patience, but I do remember waiting for over a year for the game room chairs to arrive!
HB: How did you save money/DIY/get crafty?
AWL: We recovered some of their existing pieces versus buying new, which was especially helpful during a time when upholstery would take 30-plus weeks to arrive. We saved money by keeping a lot of the existing cabinetry and just repainting and adding new countertops, fixtures, and hardware.
HB: What five tips or takeaways from this project would you want to share with our readers?
AWL: Don’t be afraid of color and pattern. Wait for the right thing, and don’t buy everything at once. A collected home is one that evolves over time, not all installed the same day. Trust the process and your designer.
