OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
From page 24
porch. “The draperies are a poly-cotton blend with a linen look,” Gowens said. Artwork and other decorative pieces in the library are from Issis & Sons. “But we worked with some of the homeowner’s things,” Gowens said. “For example, the light fixtures were already here. Because they’re gold, we pulled that color out by adding gold frames and other accents.” Issis & Sons made the room inviting with a handsome brown Chesterfield sofa and two comfortable linen chairs with classic lines. Bookcase doors can be opened to reveal a large-screen TV. “This room has a clean, classic look,” Gowens said. The two upstairs bedrooms each were designed with different family members in mind. One of the rooms would be a great space for a daughter who’s maybe away at college, Gowens said. But the room could easily accommodate guests as well as girls. “The room has two dormer windows with window seats, and we tried to emphasize the architecture,” Gowens said. “You need to take that into consideration with any room design, to take the architecture and highlight it as the builder intended it.” The bedroom’s walls are painted in Pratt & Lambert’s Argent, a pale blue shade. A chandelier is draped with wooden beads rather than crystal pendants for a fresh look, and an elegant lamp on the bedside table has an alabaster pillar. A long white table serves as a contemporary-style desk. On the opposite wall is a painted wooden chest with
SHOWHOUSE, From page 22
bathroom has been gutted, and other rooms have been updated and renovated. Issis & Sons refinished original hardwood floors throughout the house. French doors open across the front of the house onto the gracious porch. Dormer windows, twin chimneys and two staircases lend Southern charm to the exterior. A winding driveway leads up to the house through a sprawling front yard. The backyard is centered by a large patio. On one side of the patio is a hot tub; on the other side is a swimming pool, which has had extensive work. Laura Clark and her two daughters, Madison and Abigail, will move into the house once the ShowHouse ends. This year’s designers and their spaces include Blackjack Gardens, front porch; Summer Classics, pool, terrace and fountain; Urban Home Market, foyer and gallery; Interiors by Kathy Harris, dining room; Issis & Sons, library and two upstairs bedrooms with a Jack-and-Jill bathroom; Umphrey Interiors, living room and bar; At Home Furnishings, kitchen and breakfast room;
French-inspired side table with a piecrust-edged top. The light-colored carpet is Karastan’s SmartStrand, which Steve Issis said “has all the bells and whistles” when it comes to a product that’s both durable and easy to clean. “It has a warranty of up to 20 years,” Issis said. While this bedroom has a feminine slant, the second one is geared toward a masculine occupant. The designers incorporated wooden accents, metal artwork and a map of London in shades of brown. A cowhide rug on the floor comes in several colors.
“We also have antelope, deer and elk rugs,” Issis said. Magnolia Home pieces in this room include the bed and a metal chest of drawer, which has an industrial, utilitarian look. “For this room, we had in mind a boy who’s a biker, a traveler,” Borland said. “We kept things neutral here with blue-gray undertones in the paint.” The two bedrooms are connected by a Jack and Jill bathroom. Issis & Sons Bath installed the tiling on the floor and in the shower. “It’s a porcelain tile that looks like marble,” Steve Issis said. “It’s easy to clean, wears well and is stain resistant.” Many of the designers who participate in the ShowHouse have to spend lots of time and effort pulling furniture, rugs and accessories from different sources. That wasn’t a problem for the Issis & Sons team. “Everything here in the ShowHouse is done by our people and with our products,” Steve Issis said. “The thing that makes us unique is that we offer a wide variety of things for the home. We’re not a typical furniture or carpet or tile store. “It’s all in-house management. We can easily coordinate work schedules. It’s all one company, so everyone’s working together.” Issis, a Birmingham native, started the company in Pelham in 1983 with the help and support of his father, Odeh. The two worked together until Odeh Issis’ death in 2001. Steady growth over the years has led to four Issis & Sons locations: flooring galleries in Pelham and Greystone and furniture galleries in Pelham and Vestavia Hills. “We have the largest rug showroom in the South,” Steve Issis said. For more information, visit www. issisandsons.com. ❖
Atmosphere Home Essentials, powder room; Habitation, master bedroom and bathroom; Four Corners Gallery, upper gallery; Chickadee, upstairs bedroom and bathroom; Scandinavian Design, martini lounge; and Lynne Coker Interiors: upstairs bedroom and bathroom. A few years ago, the ShowHouse added an extra attraction: decorator seminars. Those sessions continue this year. Speakers and their topics are: Bill Aroosian of Habitation, “How to Design Your Bedroom Like a First-Class Hotel Room,” on May 3, and “Designing Your Outdoor Room,” on May 10; James Pace of Rainbow Paint and Decorating, “Window Treatments,” on May 4; Perry Umphrey of Umphrey Interiors, “But It Matches the Sofa,” on May 5; and Lynne Coker of Lynne Coker Interiors, “Design: Step One, Finding Your Inspiration,” on May 12. All seminars start at 1:30 p.m. Other special events are planned for this year, too. There’s a fashion show from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 10. The show coordinator is Darlene Higginbotham from Chico’s. ShowHouse-goers are invited to wear hats for Derby Day on May 6, with prizes awarded. On Mother’s Day, May 14, moms, grandmothers and mothers-to-be will get flowers,
and the Alabama Youth Symphony will provide music. The all-new Margaret Alford Tea Room is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lunches are $15. Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more; call 991-2712. Another ShowHouse staple, the Symphony Shop, will sell handmade items from Birmingham-area artisans as well as antiques and gifts. The Decorator Sales office will be open daily in the house’s garage area. Price lists for items featured in the ShowHouse are available from room hostesses. ShowHouse tickets are $15 until April 28. Visit the council’s website at svcalabama.com to buy tickets online and for a list of places where you can buy them throughout the Birmingham area. After April 28, tickets are $20 and are available at the house. Tickets for groups of 20 or more are $15. As always, there’s no parking at the ShowHouse. Parking is at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church, 3405 Brookwood Road. Shuttles run continuously during regular ShowHouse hours. The last shuttle leaves for the ShowHouse one hour before closing time. No children under age 8 are
dovetailed drawers. “It has a vintage look, but it’s a new piece,” said Anne Borland, manager of Issis & Sons’ Vestavia Hills store. “You can come in and choose the colors for the paint.” Some of the furniture is from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines. Borland said the line, created by the star of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” series, is very popular. Magnolia Home pieces in the room include a bed made of shiplap, a type of wooden board commonly used for exterior siding, and a
‘The room has two dormer windows with window seats, and we tried to emphasize the architecture. You need to take that into consideration with any room design, to take the architecture and highlight it as the builder intended it.’
Special to the Journal
ISSIS,
Thursday, April 20, 2017 • 27
HOME
Ground Broken on New Development in Shoal Creek
Francis Bryant Construction is building an eight-home development in Shoal Creek, called Troon Hamlet. The house designs range from 3,000 to 3,600 square feet and are listed on the market in the $800,000s. “It is a great honor for Francis Bryant to be selected by Shoal Creek Properties to serve as the general contractor for such a vibrant new addition to its community,” Kevin Gann, principal of Francis Bryant Construction, said in a statement. The luxury houses will have custom finishes; open, main-level living space with additional second-floor living space; covered outdoor patios; spacious bedrooms and spa-quality bathrooms with custom marble vanities, according to the statement. The development is across from Inanda Stables in the Shoal Creek community. “We are delighted to be working with Francis Bryant. Their workmanship, craftsmanship and trusted professionalism are second to none and on par with the quality our residents have come to expect and appreciate,” Caroline Little, president of Shoal Creek Properties, said in the statement. Francis Bryant Construction is the general contractor on the project, with Nequette Architecture & Design working as the architect and Lorberbaum & Odrezin handling landscape design. Pam Ausley of ReMax Southern Homes is the listing agent.
Annual GBAHB Parade Of Homes Shows Off Houses and Communities
This year’s tour will feature more than 50 homes ranging from 1,000 to 4,500 square feet scattered across the Birmingham metro area. After an April 18 judging of the homes, the tour will be open April 21-23 and April 28-30. Headlining the parade will be the 2017 Ideal Home, at 997 Willow Branch Trail in Chelsea. The 2017 Parade of Homes is free and open to the public and will be held April 21-23 and April 28-30. Tour hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. A kickoff party will be held April 20 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Ideal Home. For more information, visit gbahb.com. —Emily Williams
allowed, and those who attend shouldn’t bring umbrellas, cameras, large purses, large tote bags or backpacks. The Decorators’ ShowHouse benefits the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and is sponsored by the Symphony Volunteer Council. For more information, visit svcalabama.com or call 914-9084. You also can follow the ShowHouse on Facebook and Instagram. ❖
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