“I like those pieces that make you think, ‘Wow,’” said Ayestaran Diaz, who worked with antiques in Venezuela before moving to the U.S. “It’s good to have that eclectic look.”
Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service / Pictures: Christopher Oquendo Photography (Read the full story below.)
Living room
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Modern art, contemporary furniture and classical statues of marble and bronze mingle in harmony in Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's and Jeffrey Chandler's living room.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
A 1989 abstract painting by William Fredericksen hanging in the living room is one of many works of art that Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler found for their home at Gillian Bryce Fine Art Gallery.
Upstairs bonus room
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Call it "Goodwill Hunting." Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler often search Goodwill stores on weekend mornings for fabulous furniture finds. A contemporary Lauren Rottet lounge chair by Decca and 1960 floor lamp signed "Caprani" with the original shade are among the Goodwill treasures the pair found for their bonus room upstairs.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
When they bought their townhome, Jeffrey Chandler and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz changed the flooring in the upstairs bonus room from carpet to wood. The wood floors helped transform the space into a spacious and chic sitting area.
Dining room
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Colorful glass, bronze statues, classical accent pieces in gold and a 1980s abstract painting from King Galleries in Roswell brighten the airy dining room in the home of Jeffrey Chandler and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
It's glass on glass, anchored with white chairs and a white buffet, for the dining room tabletop and decor in the Vinings townhome.
Kitchen
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Homeowner Jeffrey Chandler likes to cook, so an open kitchen was important. He and partner Pedro Ayestaran Diaz removed the original Corian counters and replaced them with white quartz countertops.
Master bedroom
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Plantation shutters and modern furniture mix in Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's and Jeffrey Chandler's master bedroom. The homeowners bought their end-unit Vinings townhome in spring 2015 and have decorated it with an eclectic interior design style.
Master bathroom
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
High ceilings and plenty of natural light make homeowners Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's and Jeffrey Chandler's large master bath bright and airy.
Bedroom
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Homeowners Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler have different approaches to design, but they joined their tastes into an eclectic style when they moved into their Vinings townhome.
Decor touches
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
This 1880s settee with carved griffins, found on a "hunting" trip at a local Goodwill, was recovered with a paisley fabric and paired with a bright rug in the basement bedroom.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
In the third-floor stairwell hangs a collection of 1960s limited edition Victor Vasarely serigraphs, including one of 150 sign and dated 1969 "Silk Scarf" prints by Vasarely.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
A favorite piece is a 1920s French buffet with beautiful inlaid detailing and thick marble top. It's in the entryway, juxtaposed with an abstract contemporary painting.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Homeowners Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler purchased their 1960s comma-shaped coffee table, made of wood and glass by Vladimir Kagan, from Peter Pero at Antique Factory in Chamblee.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
"My favorite piece of furniture is an 1880s 10-foot high Renaissance Revival pier mirror, purchased at an estate sale in Stone Mountain," says homeowner Pedro Ayestaran Diaz. "I love the majesty of its size." At the base of the mirror is a 1900s art nouveau statue made of Carrara marble, signed A. Batacchi/Florence, found at Fontaine's Auction Gallery in Massachusetts.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
When homeowners Jeffrey Chandler and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz moved into their three-bedroom townhome, they replaced the carpet on the second and third floors with golden oak flooring, seen here in the foyer.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
A Murano glass tube chandelier from Antique Factory, in Chamblee, hangs above the glass dining table in the dining room of Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Bright bed linens and pillows welcome guests to Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's and Jeffrey Chandler's guest bedroom with vibrant pops of color.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
A trio of mini vases and flowers add a punch of color to a table underneath a window in the Vinings townhome.
Exterior View
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Meet the homeowners
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Decor touches
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Hanging in Jeffrey Chandler's and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's bonus room is an oil on canvas by mid-century American artist Lois Foley, from Gillian Bryce Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
In nearly every room in their townhome, Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler showcase works of art, which range from classical to contemporary.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
A back deck allows homeowners Jeffrey Chandler and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz plenty of space to get outside and enjoy the mature trees and azaleas in their townhome community.
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Plantation shutters grace the many windows throughout Pedro Ayestaran Diaz's and Jeffrey Chandler's home. "When we get home, I like to open the windows," said Ayestaran Diaz, a hair stylist at Hairdresser's Inc. in Marietta. "It feels great. I love to come home."
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Credit: Asif Lakhani
Homeowners Jeffrey Chandler and Pedro Ayestaran Diaz enjoy looking for furniture to decorate their Vinings townhome. They found this 1920s French cabinet at an estate sale in Buckhead.
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Pedro Ayestaran Diaz enjoys hunting for “shock pieces.”
He scouts around for unusual furniture and art on Sunday trips to Goodwill with partner Jeffrey Chandler, or when visiting antique stores, estate sales and art galleries. Since the pair purchased their Cobb County townhome in spring 2015, they have joined their existing contemporary and antique furniture and art, merging their different tastes with new purchases that are cool and different, said Ayestaran Diaz.
“I like those pieces that make you think, ‘Wow,’” said Ayestaran Diaz, who worked with antiques in Venezuela before moving to the U.S. “It’s good to have that eclectic look.”
Snapshot
Residents: Pedro Ayestaran Diaz and Jeffrey Chandler. Ayestaran Diaz is a hair stylist at Hairdresser's Inc. in Marietta and Chandler is a consultant for the Cobb County School District.
Location: Vinings
Size: 3,150 square feet, three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths
Year built/bought: 2000/2015
Builder: John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods
Architectural style: Brownstone
Favorite architectural elements: Brick exterior, 10-foot-plus ceilings
Renovations: They replaced the carpet on the second and third floors with golden oak hardwood floors. In the kitchen, the Corian countertops were removed and quartz countertops installed. In the stairway, they removed the carpet and refinished the treads with a dark gray paint, Sherwin-Williams' Urbane Bronze.
Interior design style: Eclectic with a mix of mid-century modern, contemporary and 19th-century furniture and antiques.
Favorite interior design elements: Their curated collection of existing pieces and new-to-them treasures, such as a 10-foot high mirror in a Renaissance Revival style, dating to the 1880s and purchased at an estate sale in Stone Mountain, a black lacquered settee with carved griffins (found at Goodwill), and a mid-century modern, wood and glass coffee table shaped like a comma, purchased through Peter Pero at Antique Factory in Chamblee.
Favorite artwork: 1960s limited edition Victor Vasarely serigraphs, 1989 abstract painting by William Fredericksen, 1900s art nouveau statue made of Carrara marble (signed A. Batacchi/Florence) and an oil on canvas by mid-century American artist Lois Foley.
Resources: Furniture, accessories and artwork from Goodwill, Gillian Bryce Fine Art Gallery, King Galleries and Antique Factory.
