Swan House at Atlanta History Center

Hamish Bowles Visits Atlanta's Historic Swan House | Vogue

"Built in 1928 by architect Philip Trammell Shutze for Edward and Emily Inman, this legendary house at the Atlanta History Center blends inspiration from the Italianate Burlington/Palladian school that flourished in England from Queen Anne through the first two Georges with art deco classicism and a Neo-Romantic whimsy that stole my heart. The Inmans’ flamboyant decorator, Ruby Ross Wood, leavened their conservative instincts—she even hacked a handsome brace of William Kent center tables to create consoles for the spectacular entrance hall, where a kinetic black-and-white marble floor, laid by imported Italian craftsmen, leads to an exquisite floating staircase. In the dining room, mid–18th-century giltwood and gesso consoles between the windows, depicting swans nesting amongst bullrushes and attributed to Thomas Johnson, were discovered in Bath and are said to have given the home its name. Swans recur throughout: in elaborate Georgian plasterwork; in the faux 18th-century library paneling executed by Herbert J. Millard; and in the ceiling murals of Emily Inman’s fanciful Directoire bathroom painted by Athos Menaboni, where golden stars glitter on a midnight sky." - Hamish Bowles