Home filled with positive energy

When Kimberly Mcdonald purchased her seven-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Atlanta’s elegant Buckhead neighborhood, she knew she wanted to overhaul the design.

“When I first saw the house, it was extremely outdated and not my taste,” she said. “I knew when I purchased it that I would need to open it up to allow a better flow of positive energy throughout my home.”

The owner of Kimberly Mcdonald, a home furnishings and jewelry boutique that recently launched men’s and women’s clothing lines inside Buckhead Village, transformed the home.

It went from a traditional 1990s dwelling to a contemporary space that retained the vaulted ceilings and front staircase Mcdonald already loved.

“They just needed an update to bring them up to my personal taste level,” she said.

For the boutique owner, the goal was twofold.

“I wanted a place where I can showcase my home collection as well as my shoe collection,” she said, laughing. “While I enjoy relaxing, more important to me was a bedroom with a master closet large enough to store my shoe collection. So I created one. "

Mcdonald, whose high-profile clientele includes Michelle Obama, Carrie Underwood, Amy Adams, Steph Curry and Taraji P. Henson, remarked that the resulting owner’s suite was “more like a closet with a bed in it.”

She also aimed to bring elements from her collection and mix unique discoveries into her designs, which were pulled together in part by contractors she managed. The finished looks included custom cut tiles covering the primary bathroom’s walls and a custom-designed double sink. Lots of light, a blend of colors and natural elements were important aspects to mix in to create “a very earthy and sensual feeling,” Mcdonald said.

Despite making the home an oasis for her, the entrepreneur didn’t forget about her guests.

“For my visitors, I wanted to create a space that was peaceful, welcoming and calming, I want them to be intrigued by the natural elements around them, and inspired by the juxtaposition of rough and fine accents with unexpected details, textures and colors,” she said.

Perhaps as much for herself as the guests is the formal living room, which is Mcdonald’s favorite room in the house. With walls painted in a matte-finished charcoal gray, it provides something that the homeowner said “gives it a moody background.” She also wanted “soft” artwork since the color “can be a little harsh.”

Other favorite spaces include the custom-built shoe closet and the foyer, which features a wallcovering collaboration between Mcdonald and Circa Wallcovering.

The formal living room is Kimberly Mcdonald’s favorite room in the house. The charcoal gray in a matte finish is something that the homeowner says “gives it a moody background.” She wanted “soft” artwork since the color “can be a little harsh.” The book on the table, “Annie Leibovitz: Portraits: 2005-2016,” was signed to her by the famed photographer.

The formal living room features KMD carpet. The shelves feature inherited things including an agate bowl, books and two geode stones. There’s also a hand-carved piece of opal that Kimberly Mcdonald says is “really stunning, and really special.” The acrylic table features blue lace agate.

The bathroom tile was custom hand-cut in Italy. Described as ballerinaesque, it is very abstract. The counters were also custom-designed. Kimberly Mcdonald wanted a “very tonal bathroom. It has a subtle sensuality to it, if you look closely,” she said.

Kimberly Mcdonald’s Atlanta home office has photos with both of the Obamas, her grandparents, babies, puppies and “everything that’s really important to me.” The rug is a collaboration between Mcdonald and Marc Phillips.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASMINE HUTCHERSON The wallcovering behind the headboard was done in collaboration with KMD and Circa Wallcovering. “The whole master suite is more like a closet with a bed in it,” Kimberly Mcdonald said.

Kimberly Mcdonald’s custom-built shoe closet was formerly a living room.