For one young family, the goal for their home in the Atlanta Metro suburbs was two-fold: to create a space that felt like a refuge—calm, grounding, and inviting—while still reflecting their love of hosting friends and family,” says interior designer Burcu Ercetin. Her firm, Design & Curations Interior Design Studio, was tasked with renovating the foyer, dining room, and office, all located within the home’s entrance wing.
From the beginning, the clients were clear about one bold desire: they wanted a true ‘wow’ moment at the entry. “While the rest of the main floor would remain light and neutral, the foyer needed to feel character-driven and dramatic,” Burcu explains. “Their brief was simple yet confident: ‘Make people say wow the moment they walk in, but keep it cohesive with the rest of the house.’ The challenge was to create that impact while maintaining flow within an open-concept layout.”
The team introduced custom built-ins, wall treatments, lighting, and furniture, with each selection carefully considered to ensure every space felt intentional, cohesive, and impactful from the moment you step inside. Burcu sought to blend transitional elements with an earthy, organic sensibility that feels dramatic in presence, yet calm and grounded at its core.
The dining room is the heart of the space and features the most architectural interest. “We repeated the segmental arch of the entry door through the transition into the dining room and echoed it again in the custom dry bar, creating a subtle, vault-like effect that adds depth and intention,” the designer explains. “A custom arched built-in brings softness and rhythm while providing functional storage and a styled backdrop.” The team layered in natural weathered oak cabinetry, brick-look porcelain tile, and coated the walls in a Roman clay (Rock Store by Portola Paints). “It is all to create a cohesive feel by pulling in charcoal tones from the living room fireplace,” Burcu says. “A sleek, understated chandelier from Visual Comfort keeps the focus on the architectural back wall, while the dining furniture adds softness and contrast.”
The office was originally a white box with a desk floating in the center, but Burcu reimagined it as a warm, moody sanctuary that feels inviting and intentional. “We stained the existing desk and introduced custom black cabinetry with soft oak paneling details to add contrast and soften the overall look, so it doesn’t feel too dark,” she says. A light, textured rug grounds the space.
The powder room serves as a moment of surprise. “The smallest room in the house is designed to deliver an impactful moment along the entry sequence, treated like a jewel box,” Burcu shares. “We embraced a darker palette while preserving the existing mirror. Roman Clay by Portola Paints in Damascus adds richness to the walls, complemented by sculptural fluted glass sconces that enhance the layered, intimate feel. The custom vanity, hand-sketched by our team, features Broadway Black quartz from Daltile, with a scalloped backsplash and integrated lip detail, adding an artful, dimensional touch.”
She says that the biggest challenge was creating a dramatic, character-rich entrance while keeping the rest of the open-concept main floor light, cohesive, and calm—but the result proves it works. “When the clients saw the finished space, they were thrilled—so much so that they hosted a large gathering at their home that very week,” the designer says. “The experience was seamless; they trusted our creative approach, which was rooted in a deep understanding of their vision. The project naturally continued into a second phase, with us moving on to design their unfinished basement, now scheduled for installation in the coming weeks.”
