Now I know I'm not the only one who didn't get enough of my friend Kerry Howard on Top Design. If you ask me, his farewell came far too early for his great talent to be appreciated. Fortunately, Jaithan and I had the tremendous pleasure of catching up with Kerry down in Atlanta. In fact, we were even lucky enough to stay with him at his gorgeous place in Cumming! The style of the house is a sophisticated take on casual. It's clean and eclectic with a fantastic mix of traditional and modern elements. Here's the view looking back into the bright, sunlit foyer.

KerryFoyer

Leaning on the wall are three antique church windows Kerry found years ago in Wilmington, North Carolina. He swapped out the stained glass for mirror, then aged it with acid. How great is that for adding instant architectural detail, not to mention all that great reflected light?

KerryFoyerMirrors

Check out the kitchen! It's light, bright, and full of charm. Kerry has always been so good at layering textures to give a room depth, and this kitchen certainly shows it. The whole feel of the room—the flow, the workspace, the functionality—is so well done. 

KerryKitchen

Here's the view from the den looking back into the dining area. I love how Kerry played with just a splash of blue in an otherwise neutral palette. While the house feels modern, the floors add the perfect amount of warmth. They're actually wide-plank pine that Kerry had aged with chains and a mix of stains, so they'd appear as though they've been there for years. And they do! 

KerryFamily

I love the graceful lines of the staircase and how it opens so naturally to the floor below.

KerryStairs

Here's a peek into the master bedroom. Like the pop of blue in the living room below, Kerry adds color sparingly, this time in the pretty sea green of the curtains. What a soothing palette for a bedroom, wouldn't you agree?

KerryViewMaster

And I love the plates above the headboard, a modern take on a traditional wall hanging. 

KerryMaster

Photography by Chris Little

No Top Design reunion in Atlanta would have been complete without a surprise appearance from Miss Natalie Williams! She kept me laughing all through the show, and it was fantastic catching up, especially over yummy hors d'oeuvres like smoked ham and honey mustard baked brie, together with prosciutto and parmesan encrusted asparagus.

KerryNatalieEddie

To be honest, of all the good that's come of Top Design, the best is, by far, the fun, talented, lifelong friends I've made. Designer DIY month resumes full-swing tomorrow, everyone, with a post all about finding inspiration in the least likely of places!