Social Living | The Bonner Family
At Home in Windrose
-Liesel Schmidt
Based on the iconic Tara from Gone with the Wind, the stately Greek Revival home where Ashley and Britton Bonner are raising their three children in Historic Montrose may have been built in the 1990s, but it could easily pass for an authentic antebellum estate. “Windrose,” as its original owners called it, is like a love letter to the movie, right down to the bricks—some of which were sourced from Lowe’s Grand Theatre on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, where the movie premiered in 1939. Black shutters provide contrast, while three upstairs balconies and massive columns add to the grandeur of the home. Completing the picture of the quintessential Southern estate are the many azalea bushes, which come out in full bloom in March under a canopy of majestic oak trees.
As traditional as the exterior is, it only makes sense that the interior aesthetic offers a nod to that tradition, though it blends the perfect mix of contemporary features and design to achieve a fresh yet classic look to the spaces. Entering through massive wooden French doors at the entryway, the French blue walls of the entry hall offer a rich canvas for beautiful art and furnishings that hint at the design of the rest of the home. Shades of blue are a running theme throughout the spaces—though only as an accent to a largely neutral palette. Art is a priority in these spaces, as well, often ensconced in gilt frames that lend to the richness of the room.
More classic in its layout, the home works perfectly for the Bonner family and the way they live in their home. “The layout is ideal for entertaining, which we love to do,” notes Ashley, who, like her husband, is a practicing attorney. “We host almost all our family holiday gatherings as well as our friends and our children’s friends as much as possible, which is a dream come true for us. We want our home to be family-friendly and also a place where our children have plenty of space as they grow up.”