Midtown condo's artwork rivaled only by its view of the city

Stephen Wells’ collection of contemporary artwork seems like it was selected just for his modern condo in Midtown.

He actually began acquiring the photography and paintings well before he moved into the former model unit in 1065 Midtown earlier this year. He live in a house in north Buckhead for nearly 20 years, but bought the condo for a more urban, walkable lifestyle and less home and yard maintenance.

“I decided if I was going to going to make a change, I wanted it to be a big change,” he said. “I wanted it to be a different style of living.”

Now, he can take MARTA when he is working at the Northside Hospital campus in Sandy Springs, and he walks to Piedmont Park for farmers markets and weekly tennis matches.

Wells chose the specific unit on the 31st floor of the luxury condos, which were converted from apartments above the Loews Atlanta Hotel, because it had enough wall space for art and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide day-to-night city views.

Stephen Wells bought his 2,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath condo at 1065 Midtown in 2016. A pathologist at Northside Hospital, Wells had lived in a house in Buckhead for nearly 20 years, but wanted a more walkable, urban lifestyle that was still easily accessible to work.

Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

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Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

Snapshot

Resident: Stephen Wells, a pathologist at Northside Hospital

Location: 1065 Midtown in Atlanta

Size: 2,300 square feet, three bedrooms, three baths

Year built/bought: 2011/2016

Architectural style: Contemporary

Favorite architectural elements: Abundance of floor-to-ceiling windows

Wells hired designer Suzanne Williams to create a soft contemporary interior style in his Midtown condo. He brought much of the furniture from his old Buckhead home to his new high-rise condo, along with his large collection of paintings, photography and sculptures. Williams advised him on his furniture selection and lighting, as well as how best to display his artwork.

Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

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Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

Project consultants: Designer Suzanne Williams, contractor Michael Snowden of Midtown Home Solutions

Interior design style: Soft contemporary

Favorite interior design elements: About 50 pieces of mostly contemporary photography, paintings and some sculpture on display, as well as new light fixtures. Wells and his designer worked with R Hughes to select fixtures that would display the paintings and photographs in their best light.

Favorite piece of furniture: Custom dining table by John Henson of WelbornHenson with arched legs. "It's very sculptural. It sits in front of the window, and the light comes through," Wells said.

Resources: Furniture from KnollSwitchModernR Hughes

A textured blue wallpaper sets Stephen Wells' entry apart from the rest of his Midtown condo and creates a striking background to showcase his art collection, such as a piece by Vik Muniz. To read more about Wells' home, click here. Text by Lori Johnston and Keith Still/Fast Copy News Service.

Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

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Credit: Christopher Oquendo Photography

Decor tip: He had to pare down his art collection, which included loaning some pieces to friends, and part with items he has not used in years, such as college books, scuba gear and skis. "It still required a good bit of purging and getting rid of things that weren't necessary," he said. "I had things in boxes that I had probably not opened in 20 years. You forget they're there. Cut when you can. Don't keep piling up things you're never going to use again."