• Shop
  • Design Services
  • Design Lookbook
  • Happenings
  • About Us

The Artful Lifestyle Blog

by Huff Harrington

  • Blog Home
  • ArtOur Passion
    • Artist Profile
    • New Artists
  • Decor + DesignOur Eye
    • Before + After
    • Designer Profile
    • Re-dos
    • Seasonal
    • Tips + Secrets
    • Trends
  • LifestyleOur Spirit
    • Entertaining
    • Fashion
  • TravelOur Wanderlust
    • Fave Destinations
    • Trips
  • Let’s Go Shopping!
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Townhome living: yes or no?

Townhome living: yes or no?

February 4, 2019 by Huff Harrington

Follow Us
Facebook0
Twitter0
Pinterest0

Lately, I’ve been a little obsessed with a very Atlanta-centric trend: townhome living.

Just like that, we’re officially empty-nesters. One birdie is finishing college soon and the other chickadee actually has a real job, a real salary and a real place to live.  Are they ever coming home to live? Probably not…which leaves us figuring out our next step.

After we sold the Nest and as a little experiment, we’re trying out townhome living, or vertical living, or whatever you want to call this nice scenario where you don’t have to worry about lawns or sprinkler systems or repainting the windows and doors.  Zero maintenance is all of a sudden looking kind of sexy…and we have quickly found out there are plenty more positives to vertical living.

Loving this beautiful and open floor plan and the chic decor by Nina Nash. Photo credit: Chris Little/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

We’re renting a three bedroom, four bathroom unit. It seems the floorpans are all pretty much the same in vertical homes: garage, entry, bedroom/bath on the lower level; kitchen, dining and living on the next level and two more bedrooms on the third level.  Do they come with four bedrooms? I haven’t seen many but I’m keeping my eyes peeled.

There are lots of thumbs-up for this vertical thing, especially for hubbie, who travels a lot and has an intense work schedule.  So what do we love?

Most of the townhomes I’ve seen are a nice blank slate – which means plenty of opportunities for gorgeous art and interior decor.   And we are loving our nice, open floorpan on the main level.

Pure high rise magic by designer Barbara Westbrook.  Photo credit: Erica George Dines/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

 

A couple years ago, we worked on a client’s townhome/condo. I love how the blank slate of a new townhome equals a great art opportunity!

Zero maintenance is just that.  Zero.  If a shutter falls off in a tempest, you just email someone.  Your little spot is always meticulously cared for and the community landscaping is perfect.  After decades of taking care of a home (no small job), this is quite exhilarating.

Lauren DeLoach created this pretty townhome kitchen. Photo credit: Emily Followill/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

You get to lock the door and walk away.  Apart from our sweet, but needy cats, we can lock the door and fly off for as long as we’d like.  We actually don’t do that very often, but it’s nice to think we could.

With an open floorplan, it makes good design sense to keep a simple palette and statement-making furniture.  And let the art shine.  From Barbara Westbrook. Photo credit:  Erica George Dines/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

Instant neighbors: people who live in townhouses seem very fun and lively, or at least this is our current experience!  Is that because they’re not worrying about all that maintenance? We have some neighbors who actually hang art in their garages.  Everything is tidy and pristine.

This is such a tasteful hallway by designer Vaughn Connerty. Photo credit: Chris Little/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

I’m kind of kidding here but vertical living is good for your health: lots of stairs to go up and down on a daily basis.  Most townhomes come with elevators but the unit we’re renting does not.  And I don’t mind that at all – except after a big grocery store run.

I love how Melanie Turner worked a casual, laid-back vibe to this pied-a-terre. So pretty.  Photo credit: Emily Followill/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

 

I’d be okay with this bright, clean kitchen in my future townhome. How about you? From Melanie Turner. Photo: Emily Followill/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

Is there anything not to love about this easy lifestyle?

Being the project junkie I am, I admit I’m pretty picky about a lot of things and one of those is attractive and functional outdoor space.  Atlanta’s mild climate is perfect for year-round outdoor living and we happily got used to a covered porch with a fireplace, which we used as our main living space ten months out of the year. The townhouse has a little deck, which we’ve gussied up as best we can…but I sure do miss that fireplace.   Some newer units we’ve seen actually have rooftop terraces with fireplaces, so that’s promising if we decide to go down this path.

Do I have a potential list of to-do’s if this arrangement becomes permanent? You bet.  I’ve already noted down a couple non-negotiables like my favorite super-dark stained floors, re-doing builder grade bathrooms with plenty of light marble and interesting tile and maybe, if I’m ever so lucky, a new kitchen appliance package.  I’d love to really have at it with a gorgeous mix of decor – my few treasured antiques happily mixed with some fabulous new, clean pieces that would feel fresh and modern.  And I’m seriously losing sleep over the art opportunities.

(And I’ll check in with my biz partner in crime, Ann, who ditched the single-family house years ago and is now the go-to expert for pied-a-terre renovations and living. We’re trying to persuade her to photograph her new little Midtown jewel box.)

Okay. This might work.  From Melanie Turner.  Photo credit:  Mali Azima/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

 

The townhome floorpan lends itself to a clean design aesthetic. By Vaughn Connerty. Photo credit: Chris Little/Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

So it’s a thumbs-up for a slightly more lazy lifestyle and we’re loving our little vertical experiment – stairs and all.  But I can’t promise I’ll be able to ignore the lure of a ranch re-do or a custom cottage. Stay tuned!

Ta ta.

 

Comments

comments

Comments

  1. Nicolette Horbach says

    February 6, 2019 at 7:44 am

    Meg, can’t believe you could part with the Nest but certainly understand the appeal of no maintenance!! Good luck with your experience…

Filed Under: Decor + Design, Uncategorized

You might also like to read…

  • 10 Reasons to Love Our Jaunts to Paris

  • 10 Tips for a Makeover

    10 Tips for a Makeover

Products you might love…

    About Huff Harrington

    What happens when two committed Francophiles, art lovers and design junkies get together over a bottle of red wine? A fine art gallery with a little je ne sais quoi is born, followed a few years later by its home furnishings and décor sibling.

    Get Exclusive Emails

    Don't miss promotions, events, featured artists, and all the things we love at Huff Harrington Home and Art.

    Follow HH Home

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Meet Ann + Meg

    What happens when two committed Francophiles, art lovers and design junkies get together over a bottle of red wine? A fine art gallery with a little je ne sais quoi is born, followed a few years later by its home furnishings and décor sibling.

    Welcome to Gift Central

    fabulous french antiques shop now

    Products you might love…

      Follow Us on Instagram

      Follow @huffharrington

      Categories

      Topics

      abstract accessories antiques aroma art gallery artists Atlanta Homes and LIfestyle Before and After Bethanne Cople buying trip to paris cuisine design designer design services fragrance france french antiques french furniture furniture gallery gifts how to huff harrington huff harrington fine art interior design jarres jewelry kitchen design les murets lorraine christie Marburger Farm Nola Burt painting in provence paintings paris paris apartment provence renovation Round Top Antiques Fair shopping tops Travel trips trips to france tunics

      Favorite Reads

      • A Femme d’Un Certain Age
      • Calling it Home
      • Coco Cozy
      • Cote de Texas
      • Design Indulgence
      • Designing with a Deadline
      • From the Right Bank
      • Greige Design
      • Habitually Chic
      • Hadley Court
      • La Dolce Vita
      • Lisa Mende Design
      • Lost in Cheeseland
      • Our French Oasis
      • Simply Seleta
      • The Enchanted Home
      • The English Room
      • The French Tangerine
      • The Pink Pagoda
      • Things That Inspire

      Shop Huff Harrington Now!

      • What’s New
      • Art
      • Curator’s Picks
      • Have to Haves
      • Accessories
      • Aroma
      • Books
      • Decor
      • Furniture
      • Jewelry
      • Lighting
      • Tableware
      • Trips
      • The Gift Guide

      Keep Reading

      A WEEK IN PROVENCE: Mothers, daughters & BFF’s

      A WEEK IN PROVENCE: Mothers, daughters & BFF’s

      Introducing Lily Harrington at Huff Harrington Fine Art

      Introducing Lily Harrington at Huff Harrington Fine Art

      Huff Harrington on the road

      Huff Harrington on the road

      Enjoy The Artful Lifestyle

      Home: 102 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 | Call Huff Harrington Home 404.467.0311 • Art: 4240 Rickenbacker Drive, Atlanta, GA 30342 | Call Huff Harrington Art 404.257.0511
      ©2021 Huff Harrington. All rights reserved. Design by Works Progress