By Margaret Daniel
Photos by Amy J. Owen

“For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home,” croons Karen Carpenter in the 1978 Christmas classic favored by North Augusta resident, Tracy Stolarski.

While The Carpenters might argue it is time at home that makes the holidays memorable, for Tracy and her husband, Mike, their end-of-year excitement was found skiing and perusing art galleries in far-flung locales.

Longtime Atlanta residents, Tracy and Mike spoke often about escaping the busyness of Georgia’s capitol after returning from their holiday adventures — eager to trade freeway traffic for afternoon strolls and long workdays for extended porch visits with neighbors. 

Their journey back to Augusta, where Tracy relocated after college, began in November 2014, after illness derailed their family Thanksgiving plans. Instead, the Stolarskis headed down I-20 to celebrate with their friends, Rachel and Jeff Partl, in Hammond’s Ferry.

“One morning, my husband was walking with Jeff and the dogs when he saw this lot. We had been thinking about leaving Atlanta, and Mike begged me to build a house [on the lot] because we were always going back and forth to Augusta to visit our friends,” Tracy says.

Easily convinced, Tracy agreed and eagerly began researching house plans, landing on one from architect Dan Sater’s oeuvre (Sater Design Collection, Inc.). But, to her surprise, the plan was rejected.

“Hammond’s Ferry is a traditional neighborhood development, and they shot [the first plan] down because it didn’t have enough architectural qualities to be built in the neighborhood,” Tracy says. “So, I called the architect and said, ‘So we have to come up with something different.’”

Enchanted by a trip to Two Meeting Street Inn in Charleston, the couple asked Sater if he would create a new plan for them inspired by the structure’s Queen Anne design and inviting porches. 

Sater eagerly accepted the challenge stating the historic house was his favorite residence in the United States. “He knew the house inside and out and was delighted to be able to do something with that as his inspiration,” Tracy says.

With the new plan approved and builder Rusty Winter on board, Tracy spent the following two years reinventing her personal style as she sourced furnishings, art and architectural elements for her new home.

“It is completely different from our house in Atlanta. That one was very traditional with all the neutrals,” Tracy says. “When we decided to move, we decided to do [the house] in a whole different style.”

Captivated by the happy, chic ethos of designer, Jonathan Adler, Tracy filled her shopping cart with his mid-century modern pieces upholstered in daring shades of cobalt blue and fuchsia, case pieces finished in white and orange lacquer and signature glazed ceramics. 

For bedroom furnishings and recliners, Tracy explored local showroom, Signature Interiors & Gifts, and completed the space with interior and exterior lighting from Southern Lighting Gallery.

For a touch of international flair, Tracy commissioned an intricately carved stone mantelpiece from a fabricator in Mexico and settled on custom iron railings for the home’s grand staircase in Bogotá, Colombia.

The couple’s favorite pieces — a vast collection of artworks culled from their international travels — add personality and color to every room. Hanging above the stone mantelpiece, a colorful painting of the couple’s engagement at the Biltmore House done by Tracy’s friend and Atlanta gallerist, Patrick Taylor, commands attention. 

Across the room, a multimedia collage of Marilyn Monroe by western artist, DeVon Stanfield, echoes the oil portrait’s brilliant hues. While in Tracy’s office, paintings purchased locally at Arts in the Heart hold their own atop the hot pink accent wall. And, in a nod to their new neighborhood, five pieces by Jill Stafford, an artist and fellow Hammond’s Ferry resident, feel right at home throughout the house. 

“I love supporting local artists,” Tracy says. “Anywhere we are, we go in any art galleries we find.”

In January 2017, Mike and Tracy took up residence in North Augusta, quickly enlarging their friend group as they settled into the bustling development. 

“It’s a very active neighborhood,” Tracy says. “People are always sitting on their porches, they celebrate all the holidays, host wine walks for the women and do a lot of things together. It is very friendly!”

For the full article pick up a copy of our November/December 2023 issue on stands.