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want that air-conditioned-space wine room,” Wendy says. “I think it’s great if you have a lot of wine to store, but it’s not very functional because you don’t want to go into a 55-degree room and sit and have a glass of wine. The stacked-stone wall gives you that feeling that you want of a wine room without being cold.” Adding to the room’s relaxed, yet regal ambiance is an oversized bench from B.D. Jeffries, rustic ceramic jugs and a framed drawing of an old gate. During the wine room build-out, the Shannons also spruced up the basement foyer. Today, guests walking downstairs are greeted by two reupholstered chairs and a colorful koi oil painting by Greenville, N.C., artist Sally Sutton that Tim and Wendy purchased at the Tyndall Galleries in Chapel Hill, N.C, their home before Atlanta. In fact, much of the Shannons’ art pays homage to Southern artists—from oil paintings by North Carolina native and Savannah resident Lori Keith Robinson (purchased from the Chroma Gallery in Savannah) to pieces by Hallettsville, Texas, artist Patsy Evins, which they bought at the Augusta Art Exchange Gallery in Augusta. One particularly notable piece is a painting of three little birds on a branch on the brick-red wall of the formal dining room. Purchased from Buckhead’s Anne Irwin Fine Art, this small, eye-catching work was done by Ellen Granter, the illustrator responsible for the cover image of the New York Times bestselling book The Help. “We love Southern art and have collected pieces that we love that are throughout the home,” Wendy says. “It’s not all crazy-expensive either, it’s
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just stuff that we like. We like moving it around from time to time to get a whole new look.” When it comes to getting a new look, Wendy already has her future sights set on redoing her master bedroom. In the meantime, however, both she and Tim are thrilled with the results of their room-specific upgrades and take every opportunity to invite friends to sip, savor and reap the bounty of the good life enjoyed “With a Southern Twist.” n
March/April 2012 | Simply Buckhead
Clockwise from left: Wendy Shannon loves to host multi-course dinners with wine pairings in the large dining room, which is painted brick red and adorned with a bird painting by The Help illustrator Ellen Granter; the basement wine room combines Old World touches like a stacked stone wall with a more modern light fixture purchased at Interiors Market on Bennett Street; Tim and Wendy Shannon view the wine room as just another place for guests to congregate over wine and cheese.
wendy's top 5
entertaining tips 1. Buy fresh flowers – But buy several varieties of flowers that work together and complement your home. When purchasing from a specialty food store, ask for fresh flowers directly from their cooler, then have the floral department add water to a floral sleeve so your flowers have water until you arrive home. They’ll last a lot longer. 2. Serve wine in a wine glass – This sounds simple, but based on the number of your expected guests, make sure you have plenty of red and white wine glasses. If not, it might be time to stock up or rent glasses if necessary—even Target has a great selection of wine glasses. And, if one breaks during a party, you haven’t lost an expensive crystal piece. 3. Label food – I like using place cards to label appetizers and buffet items so guests know what they’re eating in case they have dietary constraints or food allergies. Also, guests like learning about food, so make it fun by labeling. 4. Have great music playing – I like to pick a great digital music channel like Adult Alternative or Smooth Jazz.
The designers transformed the Shannons' generic mud room into an elegant foyer done in unique wallpaper, plush fabrics and antique prints.
5. Serve mini sweets – As a Southerner, you have to have desserts, but over the years I’ve found that those who eat dessert just want a mini indulgence. Offer desserts that can easily be picked up and eaten—candies, cookies, brownies and/or cakes and pies cut into smaller pieces. If I purchase desserts, I like to pick up extra seasonally themed sugar cookies from the bakery so I can send parents home with a treat for their children.