Modern 1920s Bungalow Reveal: Kitchen, Dining & Living

The Final Reveal: Inside a Modern 1920s Bungalow in Macon

For more than two decades, this modern 1920s bungalow in Macon had been home to a busy CEO and her family. The bones were good. The layout had served them well. But the spaces where they actually lived – the kitchen they cooked in, the dining room they gathered in, the living room they collapsed into at the end of long days – had stopped reflecting who they’d become.

That’s where I came in.

We’d already reworked the bedrooms and bathrooms in recent years (you can see the rest of the home tour here), and even designed and built their guest house from the ground up (here’s a look at that fabulous project). But these last three rooms were the heart of the house, and they deserved the full treatment. Bold color. Real texture. Choices made for this family, not for a trend cycle that would feel dated in three years.

Here’s how the kitchen, dining room, and living room came together.

The Kitchen: Warm Wood Meets Cool Confidence

This kitchen had to work hard. This is a household that cooks, that hosts, that lives in this room. So we built it around contrast.

Walnut on the island, warm and grounding, against crisp white perimeter cabinetry. A durable quartz counter that wraps the island and reads clean without feeling cold. And then the floor, a deep blue patterned hex tile in a dimensional starburst that turns a hardworking surface into the thing everyone comments on.

The blue-green subway tile backsplash bridges it all. Black hardware, black faucet, and those sculptural whitewashed black wood pendants keep the whole room from tipping too pretty. Three black wishbone stools at the island pull the eye down and tie the dark notes together.

The detail I love most? The small framed piece of art on the wall near the range, an original piece by Macon artist Kathleen Jones that we had custom-framed locally at Ocmulgee Arts to suit the space. A kitchen with art in it is a kitchen that belongs to a real person, not a showroom.

The Dining Room: The Bold Swing That Pays Off

This is the room that took the biggest style risk – and risk, done right, is what makes a home feel alive.

That wallpaper! A swirling orange, red, blue, and cream pattern that covers all four walls and refuses to apologize for itself. In a lesser room it would be too much. Here, balanced against creamy floor-length drapery and the original warm wood floors, it sings.

We grounded the pattern with a round walnut pedestal table and six powder-blue velvet chairs on slim brass legs. The blue cools the heat of the wallpaper. The brass picks up the warmth. And overhead, a tiered blue beaded chandelier that ombrés from pale to deep, echoing the chairs and pulling the whole palette together.

A round woven mirror over the black piano keeps the corner from going flat. Every piece in this room is in conversation with every other piece. That’s the difference between decorated and designed.

The Living Room: Color You Can Sink Into

If the dining room is the showstopper, the living room is the room you don’t want to leave.

We wrapped the existing built-ins in a deep teal, my signature color, and let it anchor the whole space. A rich blue velvet sectional tucks into the bookcases. Two curved mustard-gold chairs in a textured weave bring the warmth, the contrast, the personality. They’re the reason this room reads collected instead of coordinated.

Layered underneath: a leopard-print rug with a faded blue-and-gold floral background, because why not? A round black iron coffee table. A stacked ivory sculptural side table. Botanical and floral pillows that pick up every color in the room.

The built-ins do real work here, too. Books, art, framed photos, the small treasures a family actually accumulates. We styled them to look lived-in, not staged, because the goal was never a magazine spread. It was a room these clients would love for the next twenty years.

(And now, looking at the completed space, I think that the fireplace mantel in this modern 1920s bungalow should be painted deep teal to match the bookcases and anchor that wall. What do you think?)

Why This Home Will Never Feel Dated

Here’s the thing about designing around the person instead of the trend. Trends fade quickly; people don’t.

This bungalow doesn’t look like anyone else’s house, because it was built around how this specific family lives, cooks, hosts, reads, and gathers. The teal, the wallpaper, the mustard velvet, none of it was chosen because it was having a moment. It was chosen because it was them.

That’s what makes a forever home. Not the absence of bold choices. The right bold choices, made with conviction, for the people who actually live there.

A home that reflects who you are doesn’t go out of style. It just becomes more yours.

Ready to Bust Out of Boring?

If your home has good bones and a family that has outgrown its current look, the heart of your house might be ready for the same treatment. The first step is simple: schedule a complimentary Connection Call with me and let’s talk about your project. About twenty minutes on Zoom together, no pressure – just a conversation to see whether we’re the right fit for each other.

Your forever home is waiting to look like you, and I’d be honored to lead the transformation.

About Lesley Myrick

Lesley Myrick is an adventurous, intuitive, and exceptionally organized interior designer specializing in designing distinct “forever homes”. She works with high-achieving professionals to create playful, personality-driven and family-friendly spaces that are as functional as they are unique.

At Lesley Myrick Interior Design, we make the typically confusing design process seamless. Our high-touch, deeply engaged design process means that we accept just 6 large-scale remodeling projects per year. 

Learn more about our full-service interior design and inquire here to start your design project.