Three beautiful spaces bursting with inspiring decor
TEXT by Jasmine Bible + PHOTOGRAPHY by Aaron Coury + Susan Kalergis + Matt Ray
Beauty abounds and surrounds us at every turn! We visit three beautiful spaces, bursting with inspiring decor. Find what design elements speak to you, and replicate them in your own home.
WESTSIDE MARKET
Some of our favorite Atlanta, GA, interior designers, Forbes + Masters, tipped us off to the amazing Westside Market. This unique design depot is a dream for interior designers and design enthusiasts alike.
The two different Westside Market Atlanta locations in Midtown and Toco Hill feature more than 200 merchants, each with their own bay to showcase their wares. Stroll through the massive marketplace to see which design style speaks to you. There’s traditional, mid-century modern, bohemian, French revival, chinoiserie…every design style you can imagine.
Take time to really hone in on what colors make you happy, which textures will suit your lifestyle, or how the lines of a coffee table can feel just right.
It’s a great source to discover a new accessory to refresh a bedroom, or go all out and entirely redesign your living room. You’ll find furniture, light fixtures, rugs, accessories, art, and faux plants. If you can’t make it to the store in person, there are some items available online.
CASA BLANCA COFFEE ROASTERS
Coffee maven Marissa Ruehle has loved coffee shops since before she loved coffee. “I love the routine, the energy, the people. Coffee shops are far more intimate of a setting than they’re given credit for. They are personal, magical spaces,” she shares. In 2019, her lifelong vision became a reality, turning a vacant 1950s building in Wilmington, NC, into a dreamy coffee oasis: Casa Blanca Coffee Roasters.
A strict palette of white, wood, and leather greet you as you enter the beautiful stucco building. The smell of freshly roasted coffee beans permeates the air. Choose from a full menu of bowls, toasts, and sandwiches—our fave is the roasted potato hash with black beans, cotija, avocado, and a perfect sunny-side-up egg.
Grab a seat at the channel tufted leather couch, in one of the cozy nooks…
…or head out to the back patio where the white and wood color palette continues, enhanced by a backdrop of palms and tall pines.
Different seating zones have been established beneath romantic cafe lights hung from wooden pergola beams. Replicate this same functionality in your backyard, creating a dining zone, comfortable lounging area, and a fire pit for enjoying a hot cuppa all year round.
THE BLACKBURN INN
Originally built in 1825 as an integral part of the Western State Hospital, The Blackburn Inn was renovated in the 1830s by architect Thomas R. Blackburn, a respected protégé of Thomas Jefferson. Set on 80 sprawling acres in Staunton, VA, the historic stately manor is distinctively American and Jefferson-esque in design—classic red brick set behind soaring white columns outside leads to dramatic, light filled rooms inside. Intricate mouldings, beautiful pine hardwood floors, and curved staircases add to the prestige. An incredible hand-crafted spiral staircase leads to a cupola and rooftop veranda.
In June 2018, the Blackburn Inn, named after Mr. Blackburn, reopened as Virginia’s newest luxury boutique hotel with 49 unique guest rooms, an art gallery, a library lounge, and an intimate on-site restaurant named Second Draft Bistro.
We adore the light-filled eatery with its spectacular oversized glass windows. When the weather is nice, grab a seat outside on the front porch to enjoy items from a seasonal menu comprised of locally sourced ingredients.
While your home may not exude the same grandeur (we wish!), take notes from the classic styling and elements. Cream-colored walls with crisp white trim feel tailored and fresh, chesterfield tufted benches covered in daring pink have a modern edge, and classic chandeliers done in present-day finishes keep the space from looking dated.
We shared this story with you in our Spring/Summer 2020 Issue of NEST Magazine. To view the full issue, click here.