A quietly elegant Atlanta house by the classical architect Stan Dixon

Inspiration can come in many forms. In this case, it was a tiny two-inch image of historic stone and stucco farm buildings in Europe that my client brought to our first meeting for a new build in Atlanta. She had held onto this magazine clipping for years, waiting for the right time, and when she showed it to me I found myself equally drawn to it. There was strength in the simple forms and edited architecture. Nothing in the image was superfluous. We both loved the pure gabled roof geometry and the unique exterior spaces that developed as these structures sat among themselves. This single image jump-started our creative conversation for the house we built together, a downsize from the much larger and more formal French-style home where they had raised their children. Although they loved that home, the clients were looking for something simpler, both in aesthetic and function.

Restraint is something we often employ in our work to create harmony, and for this house a disciplined approach informed every decision—from the size of the house and the rooms within, to the materials we used. Even the decor is highly edited. Yet, while we took a less- is-more route, the house is still imbued with a warmth and soul that emanates from materials like stucco, plas- ter, antique French limestone, and rough-hewn timbers. Almost every room has access to the outdoors, including intimate, informal courtyards that act as extensions of the interior spaces. Although absent of any ornamentation, the proportions remain true to classical design, awarding timelessness to the architecture.

The clients didn’t want the house to be too large; they only wanted to build rooms that would be used regularly, with no wasted space. The house is organized with the living room and an exterior courtyard as the symmetrical central core. The residence has few hallways, so these two central spaces are critical to the flow of the house. The rooms we pass through are often the rooms that we use the most. After progressing through the central hub, the bedroom and kitchen wings emerge—asymmetrical and more organic—giving way to function and relaxation. Axial views from one room to the next connect the spaces, gradually easing into more casual and flexible pathways in the house’s more informal spaces.

One of the home’s most purposeful features is the presence of sunlight from multiple directions in almost every room, resulting in a house that evolves throughout the day. You don’t get high contrast of either wholly dark or light spaces because the light approaches from several angles at all times. We purposefully designed the living space only one room deep, with tall windows on both sides, for just this reason.