From potential to perfection

By Atlanta Style & Design

HouseLift Design transforms an uninspired Atlanta home into a personalized luxury retreat. Jim Davis Designs were used as part of this project..

Hen Blair and Norman, a Grammy-winning music producer, Gyamfi relocated from South Carolina to Atlanta in 2023, they were immediately ready to settle into their forever home. The couple had found a property with potential. But potential was all it had. “When we first walked through the house, it was clear that it wasn’t up to its price point,” recalls Brenda Thompson, founder of HouseLift Design, the Atlanta-based interior design firm tasked with transforming the 10,000-square-foot residence. “The bones were good, but the home could be so much better.” Where others might have seen a problem house, the HouseLift team saw an opportunity. What followed was a comprehensive transformation that would showcase Thompson’s signature ability to reimagine spaces and solve architectural puzzles. The once uninspired interiors now have a layered, organic modern aesthetic that feels both elevated and deeply personal.

However, this project wasn’t just about aesthetics. “With two demanding careers and young children, the Gyamfis needed spaces that could adapt to multiple uses while maintaining a sense of calm cohesion,” Thompson says. Their approach was methodical: understand how the family actually lives, identify where the existing architecture failed to support that lifestyle, then creatively problem-solve solutions that feel organic rather than forced. The challenges were significant. First, the entry lacked the grandeur appropriate for a home of this scale. A single door opened to a cramped space with a bathroom awkwardly positioned at the front of the house. There was no proper foyer, no moment of arrival that set the tone for what lay beyond. HouseLift’s solution required both architectural vision and spatial creativity. The misplaced bathroom was removed entirely, a bold move that freed up critical square footage. In its place, the team designed a foyer that matches the home’s scale and sophistication and allows the eye to travel through the home to the back of the property. The main level of the home embodies HouseLift’s signature approach to livable luxury.

In the living room, the team, addressed the challenge of making a large, formal space feel intimate and inviting. The solution illustrates an advanced understanding of proportion and scale. Oversize mirrors with organic frames flank a contemporary fireplace, their arched forms reflect light throughout the space and add visual height, making the already generous room feel even more expansive without losing warmth. The design team arranged seating in intimate groupings that break up the room’s volume. A sumptuous cream sofa with textured pillows faces a curved, contemporary chair in warm tan leather. A complementary velvet bench sofa provides additional flexible seating. The color palette draws from nature: creamy whites, warm taupes, soft grays and earthy browns create layers of subtle sophistication. Every choice was deliberate; every element works together to solve the problem of how to make grandeur feel approachable.

The primary suite renovation represented one of the project’s most significant architectural transformations.

Initially configured in what Thompson diplomatically calls “a really weird” layout, the space was fundamentally flawed. The proportions were o‘, the flow didn’t make sense and, worst of all, the closet situation was entirely inadequate for the clients’ needs. Rather than try to work around these limitations, Thompson advocated for a complete gut renovation, reimagining the suite as a luxurious haven with a two-sided fireplace.

The room’s palette is decidedly serene. An upholstered bed in natural linen is dressed in layers of textured bedding in complementary neutral tones. At the foot of the bed, a sculptural bench in deep olive velvet introduces a subtle pop of color while maintaining the organic feel. Abstract artwork in warm earth tones hangs above the bed, its brushstrokes echoing the room’s natural textures.

Floor-to-ceiling draperies in soft neutral linen filter natural light and add to the room’s sense of quiet luxury. Modern pendant lights hang from either side of the bed, simple black fixtures with a warm glow that provide reading light without disrupting the room’s peaceful aesthetic.