SPONSORED POST: Tour the RUE Showhouse — It’s a Study in How to Make Black-and-White Feel Warm
Universal Furniture’s sleek Ligon Bench is placed at the foot of the bed, adding a soft but sculptural detail. Credit: Jonas Jungblut Credit: Jonas Jungblut
This article was originally published on RUE Mag and has been republished here with permission. RUE Mag is a member of The Co-Op at Apartment Therapy Media, a collection of partner publishers.
The name “Serenbe” comes from the union of two words: serenity and be. It sounds almost too idyllic, but as soon as you arrive at the growing community—which is just outside of Atlanta, Georgia—it makes perfect sense. Founders Steve Nygren and Marie Lupo Nygren believe that “if you want to change the world, start in your own backyard.” So that’s exactly what they did.
It’s been two decades since Steve and Marie first visited the area and realized that the stunning rural landscape of the Chattahoochee Hill Country was where they wanted to be full-time. The first house at Serenbe was built in 2004, and today the community is home to over 650 residents—and boasts nearly 300,000 visitors a year. The award-winning biophilic community is an example of “new urbanism,” a neighborhood that connects people to nature and each other, with a focus on overall well-being. Think walkable businesses, locally grown food, and plenty of fresh air. It’s the perfect place for the first-ever RUE showhouse—a stunning space that highlights our favorite products, from exquisite lighting and rugs to cutting-edge appliances.
“The booming new construction growth tucked into natural surroundings less than an hour from the city of Atlanta make Serenbe unique and special,” says Courtney Shearer, founder of The Designery and lead designer for this space. Courtney and her team, Keri Perry and Ryan Foxx, along with 1023 Construction, saw the project through—from dirt to the final touches.
“When working on a showhouse-type space we always want to get creative, try new things, and generate visual pops,” Courtney explains, “while simultaneously creating a space that will appeal to a lot of different aesthetics.” Playing off the natural light that floods the space each day, they created a clean, “museum-esque” vibe, with moody colors adding an unexpected punch of interest and drama. “We are often tasked with working within parameters whether that be budget or vendors, lucky for us the vendors associated with this project had so many amazing options to choose from,” Courtney says. “The hardest part was narrowing them down.”
