Regional tropes abound in this firm’s urbane redesign of a 422-key property in Atlanta’s toniest neighborhood. KTGY drew on Georgia State symbols such as the peach, the honeybee, and the Cherokee rose to bring design cohesion and a strong sense of regionalism to the 282,000-square-foot InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. The vibe is well-bred meets well-traveled: The lobby captures the tone of a formal yet welcoming manor house; the design of rooms and suites was based on the concept of the archetypal southern belle, her casual elegance evident in the channel-tufted emerald-velvet headboards and sofas as well as the rugs’ lacelike floral patterning; and the more masculine presidential suite tips a derby hat to southern gentlemanliness via chocolate-brown hues, tailored upholstery, and geometric elements. Key for firm principals Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary was striking the right balance between warmth and sophistication, nature and culture—an equipoise expressed throughout in the juxtaposition of earthen, organic tones with eye-catchingly bold art.
