When their only son left home for college during the pandemic, designer Kay Douglass and her husband, Jim, decided the time was right to move to lower-maintenance environs. They appreciated the breathing room of their spacious home in the Buckhead district of Atlanta and loved the charm of its neighborhood, but they were keen to let go of the intensive yard work its large lot demanded.

“We work full time and travel a lot,” explains Douglass. “We wanted a yard with a small imprint that would be easier to take care of.” So, when their real estate agent called with news that she found an ideal home down the street with nothing but a stone courtyard outdoors, the couple took a look at the place and made an offer on the spot.

Known for the stylish French and Belgian vintage furnishings she offered as an antiques dealer at the South of Market shops she used to operate in Atlanta, Charleston, and New York, Douglass knew that the kinds of pieces she favors would work well in the new dwelling. “The house was built about 25 years ago and had been owned by several notable people in the design community who added things like stone floors and wood ceiling beams that gave it character and made it better over time,” says Douglass. “I mostly just needed to do some freshening to make it our own.”

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INTERIOR DESIGN BY KAY DOUGLASS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MALI AZIMA

WRITTEN BY JEAN NAYAR

This story appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of MILIEU.