When Bryan and Hadley Quisenberry began their search for a new home, they were looking specifically for a prime location and a place for Hadley to stretch her creative muscle and design a home from top to bottom for their family of four. It was Bryan who first saw the potential in the 5,000-square-foot classic cottage in Eastover. Hadley, however, did not. “I wasn’t even interested in touring because it had no backyard,” says the designer. “I was talked into taking a look, and, shockingly, I had a settled feeling about this being our future home the minute I walked in.”
Situated on a quiet cul-de-sac only seven minutes from both Bryan’s work and the kids’ school in Uptown, the location was ideal. And, architecturally, the home designed by MGPB Architecture was thoughtful, wasting no square footage, and featured ten-foot ceilings, an easy flow, and ample natural light.
The Quisenberrys purchased the home just before Christmas 2022, and shortly after closing, the designer, who is also owner and lead designer of West Trade Interiors, assembled her dream team to undertake the project. Architect Peter Anthony Brooks would finalize the plans, builder Cameron Cooke of Ethic would oversee the renovation, and Jordan Bailey of Cabinets Trim & More would install custom cabinetry, a main component of the design for the phase-one spaces. Cabinetry was a focus in the kitchen, the family room’s fireplace wall, and in additional storage in the dining room, where existing china cabinets with ornate moldings and glass shelves were redesigned with cleaner lines. The fireplace wall was rustic and specific to the original owners’ needs, so they started from scratch in that area as well as in the kitchen.
“We quickly realized that a lot of the drawbacks for us as a young family were not actual limitations but lifestyle choices made by the original empty-nester owners when they built the home in 2002,” says Quisenberry. “The prior design was a bit heavy, with jewel-toned colors and bulky materials.”
The first order of business was a redesign of the home’s common living spaces, as well as the first-floor West Trade Interiors studio and powder bath. The kitchen was taken down to the studs. Several smaller, closed-off spaces on the main floor limited connectivity and sightlines, so they doubled the size of the cased opening between the kitchen and family room and then combined the kitchen and breakfast room into one larger space to accommodate the entire family.
Hadley’s personal style is traditional with a twist, always layering color and texture alongside a touch of the unexpected. A predominantly blue-and-white color palette is warmed by gold-toned fixtures and original hardwood floors refinished in walnut. Canary yellow hues are infused in the dining room for a dressier vibe, and a luxurious Stark Missoni multicolored staircase runner adds interest in the foyer. The expanded kitchen is a study in functionality and flair, featuring custom cabinetry with a pantry wall, upgraded appliances, polished Taj Mahal quartzite countertops, and white square zellige tile.
The design also invested heavily in sentimentality, pulling in elements throughout that speak to the Quisenberrys’s fondest memories: the foyer’s treetop-motif wallpaper meant to mimic Central Park, where the couple met; the family room’s fireplace artwork commissioned to represent the couple’s favorite view at Blackberry Farm; and an antique gaming table, passed down from Hadley’s parents, where the family is learning to play Mahjong.
Though hesitant at first, Quisenberry believes taking a chance on the charming cottage paid off in spades. Her favorite space is the living room with its expansive bay window and cozy feel, where she enjoys watching a quiet sunrise before the rest of the house wakes up. She also touts the home’s unique exposed firewood display, a feature she once considered a concession to her husband that turned out to be one of her—and many of her guests’—favorite elements.
“My goal was to transform the home into a true expression of our personalities with spaces that support and elevate our everyday life,” says Quisenberry. “While the process was tense at times, I’ve experienced immense joy in seeing our collective vision realized and by watching everyone settle into daily life within these walls.”
