Pretty Glam

Designer Margaret Bosbyshell readily admits that she isn’t known for one certain style. “I like to think that my signature is helping clients create their own look,” says the Atlanta native. Sometimes that can be harder than it sounds. But then there are those instances when client and designer come together so beautifully that things shine, as was the case when Bosbyshell worked with Jim and Laura Ulam, the owners of one of Buckhead’s purported oldest homes.

“They’d moved from California and purchased the home, which had been renovated in the ’30s by architect Neel Reid,” Bosbyshell explains. “They wanted to preserve the home’s original design elements but also give it some glamour.” The key to achieving both, she found, was with color.

Throughout the house “the colors are very crisp,” Bosbyshell says. “None of them actually blend into each other, and the color palette is still fairly neutral.” Bold blacks and whites predominate in the public spaces, allowing the family to change the look at will by switching out accessories and artwork. Meanwhile, the bedrooms are decked out in soothing shades of blue and green.

Because the Ulams are fans of Dorothy Draper—the famed decorator from 1930s through the 1960s known for her signature graphic fabrics, neoclassical motifs and bold, black-and-white striped patterns—they incorporated many Draper-esque colors and patterns in custom draperies, fabrics and rugs. A custom Greek key black-and-white wool rug adds a chic touch to the living room, and the hand-painted fabric on the chairs in the dining room pops against the cream-colored walls. Additionally, Bosbyshell and her clients chose several Kelly Wearstler fabrics and fun pieces like a zebra print rug in the entryway to add more Hollywood glam.

“The Ulams have immaculate taste and love design,” Bosbyshell says, “but what was so much fun about this project is that they were so adventuresome and so willing to try anything.”

Dorothy Draper would be proud.

DESIGN DETAILS
INTERIOR DESIGN
Margaret Bosbyshell
Margaux Interiors Ltd.
(404) 276-1997

All floral design by Shaun O'Dwyer