A Wing-Roofed Home in Georgia Perches Among the Trees
When brainstorming a custom Atlanta home, residents James and Candy Sarvis expressed a desire to live in the treetops. Architect Staffan Svenson of Dencity answered with a 3,900-square-foot design with cantilevered glass sections that reach out for the mature oaks and pines in the outskirts of the Buckhead community. The winged roof, expansive glazing, and floating staircase to the second-story entrance suggest liftoff, a reference to James’s career with Delta Air Lines.
"So many houses seem like they’re completely still and heavy," says Dencity architect Staffan Svenson. Inspired by his client’s role in the airline industry, Svenson relished the chance to create a home that evokes motion and lightness.
Along with builder Cablik Enterprises, Svenson carried the theme of transparency throughout, with nearly uninterrupted views of the urban forest, ample access to the courtyard, and a see-through fireplace connecting the living and dining rooms. To create privacy amid the dramatic windows, he set the home back at the highest point on its sloping lot. Hidden pull-down shades protect the street-facing rooms at night.
Svenson calls the floating aluminum stairway "a major sculptural element." He adds, "We really wanted to celebrate the entry," which is elevated because the site is ten feet higher in the rear. The earthy stucco and local stone cladding keep the home rooted to its landscape.
The home’s T-shaped layout forms a courtyard accessible by its two "social wings," fitted with massive Kawneer sliding doors made for auto showrooms.
The clients asked for interior products in thirteen shades of white, including the twin Malibu sofas by American Leather. Interior designer Burns Century added deeply hued textures such as the charcoal suede on the fireplace column to keep the room feeling natural, not icy. The black Pool coffee tables are from Design Within Reach.
Candy Sarvis loves feeling connected with dinner guests while she cooks. The African teak kitchen cabinetry is by Pedini, with Miele appliances. A Big Bang pendant by Foscarini illuminates the Montecarlo table by Cattelan Italia.
Lustrous textures characterize the cantilevered master bedroom. The gleaming four-square-foot white porcelain tiles are softened by crushed-shell wallpaper and a cypress ceiling.
In the master bath, a custom raised Silestone sink is surrounded by a teak countertop and Porcelanosa glass tiles. Teak slats anchor the glass-enclosed shower.
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