Chai Style Home: When a Designer Steps in & Piano Keys Become Rugs

Designer Jill Zimmerman took her creative license and etched her cheerful stamp on Sheryl and Steve Eisenberg’s Dunwoody home. The goal was to make it livable, not showy, as collections came together, one wall at a time for music, Mah Jongg, and “mix and match.”

The interior decorating project began in the spring of 2024 when Sheryl reached out to Zimmerman through the much touted, uber-popular Jewish Moms of Atlanta Facebook page. Sheryl was in the middle of transforming the sunroom into her office/game room and needed some direction.

She, along with goldendoodle Lexi, then proceeded to refresh other rooms with Zimmerman. Sheryl, former board chair of the Breman Auxiliary, said, “Color is really my inspiration, and I was open to Jill’s artistic eye on things. First up was a huge wall in the great room with blue glass platters — when Jill waltzed in with green platters and recomposed a ‘not so random design’ — just to show how so little can make an impact statement.”

Tour the Eisenberg home to see how two heads work together and arrive at small steps that domino into more rooms.

Marcia: Your game room with the open windows looks like it belongs on a cruise ship.
Sheryl: I wanted the space to be comfortable and to match the natural light and airiness of the room. So, Jill and I added the blue circular custom rug from Excel Carpet, Bernhardt Chairs with boucle ivory fabric, white-toned woven window treatments from Budget Blinds and floral wall art from Great Big Canvas.
Jill: I encouraged Sheryl to incorporate low maintenance plants in her space that also increase oxygen. My “go-to’s” are the snake plant (aka Mother-in Laws Tongue), weeping fig, and spider plant. “Snake,” “weeping,” “spider”: the names aren’t very pretty, but they do add beauty and purify the air.

Marcia: What was your vision for the dining room?
Sheryl: We had recently remodeled the kitchen, and I wanted the dining room to flow into that. Jill and I began by chatting about classic, timeless furniture pieces. The dining room set and buffet are from Hooker Furniture’s Modern Mood Collection. We got creative about adding a decorative fabric to the back of the armchairs and to use the same fabric to add lumbar pillows. To update the dining room windows, we took out the sunburst wood pattern at the top and replaced them with clear glass and added custom window panels. Both the chair and window treatment fabrics are from Lewis and Sheron Textiles.
Jill: One of the dining room walls called for a single large painting that Sheryl found on Etsy from the Ashley Yip Gallery. We ultimately decided on Sherwin Williams Restoration for color drenching the walls, trim, and baseboard. We added the bold sconces from Progressive Lighting as well as the fabulous chandelier. The Eisenbergs were on board for an eye-catching wallpaper for the ceiling; and we found the York brand at Wallpaper Plus. We also hunted for a larger-scale bar cabinet that Sheryl found from Sarreid. We finished this collaborative project with lamps and a mirror from Uttermost, decorative elements from Kudzu and Company, and the cowhide rug from Atlanta Designer Rugs.

Marcia: My favorite is your piano room.
Jill: The piano room was the final makeover of the house’s main floor. Sheryl wanted to keep this room simple yet inviting. The walls were painted Sherwin Williams North Star. The blue and white rug from Rugs Direct reminded us of piano keys, which was apropos for the space. We added two chairs in a deep blue from West Elm and three pieces of wall art from Great Big Canvas to add some vibrant color.

Marcia: What about your design business?
Jill: I worked as a part-time interior designer for several years, and in 2022, I transitioned to running my business full-time as I was nearing the empty-nester stage in my life. My design approach is often emotion driven. I begin by understanding how my clients want to feel in their space, how their family, including pets, uses each room day-to-day, and which meaningful pieces should be thoughtfully incorporated into the overall aesthetic. My services range from refreshing and updating rooms using existing furniture and decor to complete top-to-bottom transformations, including material selections for kitchen and bathroom remodels. Clients appreciate that I’m transparent about costs, realistic about expectations, and respect their budgets.

Marcia: What trends do you see for 2026 and beyond?
Jill: I have been delighted about the design trends for 2026 as they have moved away from ultra whites, grays and stark minimalism and are continuing toward biophilic design, including both warm and moody atmospheres incorporating earthy layers, dark woods, and natural materials such as linen, clay, travertine, wool, and raw stone. There is also a noticeable return to romantic, feminine design elements such as vintage-inspired floral wallpaper, fabrics, and covered lamp shades as well as ornate light fixtures, curved furniture silhouettes, and soft-to-the-touch fabrics. The color palettes for 2026 also feel warm and grounded and include ambers, sandy tones, muted greens, deep blues, and soft corals.
 

Marcia: Biophilic?
Jill: An approach that intentionally incorporates natural elements built in to tap into the innate human affinity for nature with spatial qualities that mimic the environment — one of the most influential movements in contemporary design (and architectural) thinking.

Marcia: Last word:
Sheryl: This project is ongoing. The bedrooms are up next. Our two heads are already conjuring up … “polished, livable, unexpected” with lots of color, and biophilic (per Jill).