Chai Style Home: Oasis of Style Above the Clouds
Music lover Joyce Shlesinger redesigned her Buckhead condo to include her love of entertaining and using color to showcase her art.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Atlanta gained a style doyenne when young Joyce Zacks (now Shlesinger) moved here many decades ago to work for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as the Director of Development, which explains the panoply of mini-musicians and instruments that are perfectly placed amidst her 22nd floor Buckhead condo.
The real depth is Joyce’s choice of jewel tones, art and wall coverings. She said, “I wanted the décor to be cozy, yet sophisticated and site specific. Before moving in, I shuffled around the rooms a bit to get a good flow for entertaining and sociability, while maintaining my own solitude and master wing … letting the art and fabrics define the furnishings.”
The 3,200-square-foot condo is a shimmering unfolding of jewel box tones that offer a restrained elegance — not snobby but refined like a couture dress. Then there are the four “unending” plant-laden patios ushering in natural light and beckoning Atlanta’s most famous vistas in all directions.
Jaffe: Share how you arrived at such a spacious unit in the corner of this high rise.
Shlesinger: I actually moved from a large townhome down the street. It took a year to renovate and decorate. Basically, I took a unit and a half and transitioned from a three-bedroom to a two-bedroom, making the previous third bedroom/office into the dining room. It was quite the project!
Jaffe: You entertain a good bit?
Shlesinger: Yes, I love hosting friends and family, and I take great pleasure in traditional Shabbat dinners, which is why I placed importance on the dining room. The view from there is breathtaking, and I’m particularly fond of the antique Japanese kimono framed in Lucite on the north wall. Some of my favorite dishes include a cherished family brisket recipe, noodle kugel, and pavlova—a light, fluffy dessert from Australia that guests always rave about and ask for the recipe. The dining room features a custom table, a Stark carpet, and a Baccarat chandelier, all of which contribute to the ambiance.
Less formal entertaining is done in my kitchen banquette with Mystic Garden fabric by Thibaut, custom table, and antique rattan chairs. The view from there is equally mesmerizing.
Jaffe: What are some of your favorite pieces of art?
Shlesinger: I feel a deep connection to the Terry Rodgers painting (1985) in the living room, as both the piece and the artist were from my cherished hometown of Columbus, Ohio. This personal tie influenced the entire design of the space, with the living room’s color palette engineered to echo the tones and mood of that painting of such a fun and chic cocktail party.
I commissioned the Jeffrey Wilcox jigsaw puzzle art and had him place a contrasting butterfly spot for interest. The Judith Barber painting sits well above the raspberry pink banquette sofa with Designer’s Guild fabric. On that are Thibaut Portofino embroidered linen pillows. Designer’s Guild fabrics are also on armed chairs, tufted sofa, and dining chairs. In the den, all furniture was brought from my previous home and recovered. The delicious “Pear” oil painting by Tom Seghi …the Spanish pottery is by Casa Gusto, a fabulous design shop in West Palm Beach.
The guest bedroom/office has a vintage JOYCE poster and features artwork by local photographer Rob Brinson. The malachite green walls contribute a dramatic yet calming atmosphere to the room. Family pictures including my 13 grandchildren and extended family personalize the space.
Jaffe: What do you collect?
Shlesinger: Limoges from south central France and porcelain boxes collected over 50 years; but my most treasured collections are musical instruments and miniature musicians. I also collect cookbooks; and in the kitchen, I have an étagère to display the Judaica.
Jaffe: You well take advantage of the revival of dramatic and whimsical wallpaper incorporated in modern design.
Shlesinger: I have always loved the feeling of a wallpapered home. I wanted a «wow» in the entrance foyer and loved this Nina Campbell paper with all its grace and plumage. The birds really stood out for me.
Then in the larger powder room it’s “Dragonflies” by Osborne and Little. In the master bedroom, the wall covering is also by Nina Campbell. By the way, the painting in the powder room is “Young Clown” by an Israeli artist
Jaffe: Your main bedroom is very dreamy and intentional.
Shlesinger: I have always had a special bedroom. Again, the views here are spectacular — even reaching out to Stone Mountain. I chose the blue tones to make it restful and a bit nautical, think of water, beach, and the salty air.
Nina Campbell’s wallpaper, Les Rêves Pampelonne, and Jane Churchill velvet is the fabric on the chair and ottoman.
There’s a special little nook area for my great-granddaughter, Eva, when she visits (she calls me “Gigi”). The painting above in the nook is by Georgian artist Dan Poole.
Jaffe: Last word.
Shlesinger: In the master bedroom, my daughters gave me a whimsical piece by Kina Crow that reads: “She looked to discover that her youth had disappeared, but it wasn’t the young darling’s absence that truly vexed her so; it was the fact that the little bitch hadn’t even bothered to say ‘goodbye.’”
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