By Katie Brown

So it’s time to relocate to Atlanta. From choosing a new home to packing up the previous one, there is a lot on the mind of a relocator and his or her family during the process. Whether it’s due to a close proximity to work or a nearby school, choosing the perfect of area of town is a main priority. And in doing so, you’ll undoubtedly peruse through dozens, if not more, homes, apartments or condos in search of the perfect place.

Obviously, every person moving to Atlanta has different needs when it comes to choosing a home. Whether you are single and seeking a functional condo or apartment with great skyline views or need ample space for your children and pets to run around, Atlanta has something for you.

Looking at all of those different floor plans and housing options can be a daunting task, and envisioning your furniture, and family for that matter, in this new space can be even more difficult. While looking at a home, condo or apartment, it may be difficult to visualize the space: Which wall does the TV go on? Is there any way two children can share this bedroom? What is the purpose of this room? This is where interior design comes in—playing a major role in helping people who are relocating envision the potential of each space.

During the hunt for your home, you will most likely take a tour through a model space. Whether it is a model home, apartment or condo, the space you look at is created with you—the relocator—in mind. Not only is it important to find a home with good “bones,” such as enough bedrooms, ample outdoor space and a convenient location, but the space needs to be useful as well. One of the biggest struggles for potential renters or buyers is to envision a space’s potential when furniture and décor is absent.

By looking through a model home, apartment or condo, you are able to see whether or not this space can work for you and your family through the implementation of interior design. Ever consider how many of the staple decisions in home design can affect the mind of the buyer or renter? The use of a certain color palette, the placement of furniture in a room and even the shape of the dining room table can have an effect on how a person interprets the space.

Depending on the buyer or renter’s needs, model spaces are decorated to target each market with the goal of helping you better understand how you can fit into the space. Whether you decide to implement various pieces of a model home’s interior design or it helps you better visualize the space’s potential, interior design plays a large role in helping those relocating envision their new lives in Atlanta.

But who is behind these interior designs and the spaces that house them? With design tips and expertise from the industry’s best, KNOWAtlanta takes a look at model spaces in the area and how interior design has helped to create a vision for homebuyers and relocators.

The Interior Partners
As a full service design firm, The Interior Partners not only works to create imitation-worthy spaces in model homes, clubhouses and commercial spaces, but their design expertise includes residential areas as well. In 2007 with 30 years of combined experience, Cindi MacPherson and Ashley Norred set out to create a boutique design firm that specialized in achieving the client’s specific needs.

After studying interior design in college, MacPherson went on to own a construction development company. When the opportunity to start The Interior Partners came about, MacPherson was eager to combine her business-minded background and love of interior design to create model homes.

With The Interior Partners, MacPherson says that by teaming up with builders, such as Lennar, they are able to come together as marketing partners with one goal in mind: to sell homes. However, there is a lot of research and diligent thought that goes into creating a space.

Before implementing any design scheme or idea, The Interior Partners works with the builders to identify their target buyer by conducting demographic research. From choosing a specific retailer, such as Pottery Barn or CB2, to using an interior plan that highlights a specific color palette or style, MacPherson says that “the concept is all about the specific buyer that will be buying the home.”

While choosing décor that speaks to a buyer’s specific style or taste is important, MacPherson mentions that another key goal of interior design is helping buyers see themselves in the space. “When trying to buy a home, more than 80 percent of people can’t visualize a space,” she says. “You want your target market to walk into a home and identify with it. You want them to walk in and say, ‘This is my house.’”

Whether it’s creating a space for the tech-savvy buyer, a growing family or the traveling single, The Interior Partners understands the need to implement specific strategies in their interior design and hope that relocators and buyers will use some of these ideas in their own spaces. After having a client who was relocating to Atlanta from California ask for a model home to be replicated, MacPherson says that inspiring buyers through interior design is one of her favorite parts of the job. “It’s the biggest compliment,” she says. “It means that we totally did our job and hit the target buyer.”

For others relocating to Atlanta, MacPherson has some note-worthy information on the Atlanta home and interior design market. “Trends are always changing, and generally, design trends change with world trends,” she says. “Now it’s becoming much cleaner. The economy is more trim, so design is more trim.” MacPherson also mentions that the economic environment has even led people to choose different paint colors and color palettes to help create a calmer or more tranquil setting.

While people moving to Atlanta will notice that the area continues to implement more traditional designs and styles, most people are shocked by the square footage. Typically, large homes are situated on larger lots, and homebuyers often enjoy spacious outdoor spaces due to a favorable climate year-round.

Aside from the expansive space many Atlanta residents are drawn to, there is one space The Interior Partners is sure to include in their model homes that helps to further attract buyers. MacPherson says that “drop stations,” or areas where homeowners can house their computers, cellphones and other electronics, are becoming increasingly necessary in our technology-friendly world. By devoting a space for a “drop station,” buyers are able to realize the necessity for the area as well as gain ideas on how it can be implemented into their own home.

While the ultimate goal remains to sell homes, The Interior Partners’ design expertise is vital to this process. By helping potential buyers visualize themselves in the space through interior design, MacPherson and the team at The Interior Partners are able to give people a starting point for their own designs, whether it is through implementation of a “drop station” or a specific color palette. “Model homes give people ideas,” she says. “Ultimately, we hope to inspire them.”

John Oetgen and SkyRise Group for The Mansion
In the case of The Mansion on Peachtree, a high-end condominium and hotel with top-notch amenities, a collaboration was formed between The Mansion’s marketing representative and one of Atlanta’s most sought after designers—John Oetgen. The SkyRise Group, a division of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, represents multi- family homes such as high-rise condominiums and townhome developments.

As a representative of The Mansion, it’s SkyRise Group’s responsibility to get the units sold. “Our job is to work with developers to best position their projects to sell by providing a comprehensive marketing plan,” says Anne Schwall, Vice President of the SkyRise Group. “Having a beautifully designed model condo is very important when marketing condominiums, which is why we have worked with wonderful designers such as John Oetgen at The Mansion.”

Aside from the 42 tower residences and three garden villas, The Mansion has 127 hotel rooms and a world-class spa and restaurant, all with envy-worthy views of the Buckhead skyline. The Mansion’s condominiums boast ceilings that are 12.5 feet high and multiple services, like in-home dining options, automobile maintenance and housekeeping.

So when it came time to design the model space for these luxurious condos, John Oetgen and his design team wanted to make sure they covered all of the bases when implementing interior design. “I looked at nine different people who could live there,” says John Oetgen, an Atlanta interior designer who has been named one of the 100 most influential designers in America by House Beautiful every year since 1995. Throughout The Mansion’s model condo, Oetgen made sure to target all of these people through different design applications. Areas include “calm and serene,” “fun and family-like,” “city and bachelor crazy” and “soft and lovely.”

While the unit displays Oetgen’s versatile range of design, he says that interior design is vital to creating a cohesive look in any space—whether it is a model condo that is trying to sell or your own space at home. “[Interior design] turns a floor plan into a home; architecture into a living space; construction into life. It sells it,” he says. “You wouldn’t buy a book without print, unless it was a diary I guess. It really makes people dream.”

And it is this idea of dreaming that Oetgen believes should propel people to explore their own style when it comes to interior design. Whether it’s implementing a bold print or pop of color from The Mansion’s model condo, Oetgen says people looking at the space will most likely find something that resonates with their own style. “I’m a firm believer in not telling people how to decorate their homes,” he says. “Anything they see in The Mansion can be replicated.”

Room & Board for the Foxhall Design Home
Recently, Room & Board, a home furnishings company that specializes in modern, American designs, teamed up with a local Atlanta community to create a first-class model home. Located in Douglas County’s Foxhall Resort & Sporting Club, the Foxhall design home features more than 5,000 square feet of living space, multiple outdoor areas and four bedrooms. The model home is part of what will one day become Atlanta’s largest resort zoning, with more than 830 homes available as well as hotels, condos and convention space, all located within 20 miles of Atlanta’s Hartfield Jackson International Airport.

When it came to decorating the model for this Craftsman-style construction, Room & Board was eager to get involved. The well-preserved property and vision from the property’s owner, Harrison Merrel, made it easy for Room & Board to come in and implement the perfect design. “As a team, we had brainstorming sessions to find the best [arrangement] that would fit the lifestyle of someone living on the property,” says Julie Dewald, retail market manager at Room & Board. “In many cases, this home could be someone’s second or vacation home. It needed to be functional and stylish.”

With ample indoor and outdoor space available in the model, including multiple bedrooms, outdoor living areas and bonus rooms, Room & Board had a lot of space to work with. Because the Foxhall community appeals to a variety of potential buyers and relocators, from families to retirees, Room & Board wanted to highlight the functionality of the space to help buyers understand their needs and how they could be achieved in one of Foxhall’s homes.

“We had to be creative with the functionality of the numerous additional living spaces,” Dewald says. “Other than bedrooms, we designed a craft and inspiration space for the kids, a home office with sitting area, a spacious media room, a yoga and workout space, a family conversation area, an outdoor dining and lounge to enjoy the surrounding beauty of the resort and a more traditional great room off the kitchen.”

When it came to deciding on the style of the home, it’s no secret that Atlanta is known for having larger homes that are built in a traditional style, which is exactly why Room & Board, with their rather contemporary designs, jumped at the opportunity. “The size and scale of the home is larger and more traditional that previous homes and projects we have done in the past,” Dewald says. “We created our design using more of our transitional collections and accented with modern touches.”

For those relocating to Atlanta, the large, open spaces typically found in Atlanta homes may be intimidating to furnish—especially when your style isn’t “traditional” or transitional” like the home’s architectural build. However, to appeal to varying tastes and preferences, Room & Board aimed to make the space at Foxhall universally appealing. “We felt it was an opportunity to show how you can blend contemporary home furnishings with a more traditional space and surroundings,” Dewald says. “We wanted to share that you are not bound by the architectural style of your home.”

When people look through model homes that have been decorated by Room & Board, there is a common theme in these spaces that can easily be replicated. “What is always on trend is using a neutral palette as your base and adding pops of color,” Dewald says. “For example, in a living space, use shades of grey for wall colors and large furniture pieces. Complete the room with colorful accessories, a rug and pillows. A simple way to add color to a room is with small furniture accents.”

Ultimately, Room & Board’s goal with the Foxhall design home was to stage the home in order to project to buyers the livability of the space as well as help people envision the potential of each room and area. Dewald says that doing this is vital in today’s housing market. “Home staging starts with a thoughtful space plan to highlight the architectural elements of the home,” she says. “Furniture and décor help a homebuyer understand the size and scale of each room and how they could live in the space. In today’s housing market, a well staged home is a must in order to gain an edge.”

Aside from creating model spaces that are full of design inspiration, Room & Board helps people further envision themselves in a space by offering complimentary design assistance in their showrooms. Simply bring in pictures of the space along with measurements, and you will be able to create the space you desire with the help of experts. “Any space, like Foxhall, should represent a homeowner’s lifestyle,” Dewald says. “At Room & Board, we want to project a space that is timeless, functional and comfortable.”

Finding Your Interior Inspiration
While model homes and spaces may serve as a springboard for your design ideas, ultimately, it’s your own personal style and personality that should shine through in your space. Whether you choose to highlight the calm, rather understated style of the traditional Atlanta home with functional, casual furniture and white trim molding, or break away from the “traditional” mold by accenting transitional pieces with modern accessories and pops of color, there are many options when it comes to interior design.

Take note of these model homes and spaces—even if the décor isn’t your style—and envision what your home can become when design is injected in the space. From finding an intriguing color palette to deciding on a functional living room arrangement, a lot can be learned through the implementation of design in a model space.n