ACH PERSON MAKES ABOUT 35,000 CHOICES THROUGHOUT THE course of normal daily activities. While this staggering number is overwhelming enough, consider adding to that the hundreds of thousands of additional decisions that must be made when building a new home. New construction offers the exciting possibilities of a blank page but also the awesome responsibility of a large project with a lot of moving parts. From the first sketch on paper to the final placement of the perfect accessory on the bookshelf, a home is stitched together by a myriad of choices.
While the process may overwhelm some people, designer Cristi Holcombe thrives on the details. She particularly loves guiding homeowners through the process of building a new home or undertaking a major renovation or home addition. She enjoys relieving homeowners from the pressures of worrying about every technicality and design element during the construction process. With the turnkey, full-service design experience of the Cristi Holcombe Interiors team behind her, Holcombe delivers completely curated spaces, from concept to installation to styling. “Good design involves the coordination of so many details, and our involvement from start to finish allows homeowners to save time and energy and, ultimately, brings their visions to life so the final product is a cohesive design that reflects their individuality,” she says.
Beth and Mathew Pombo found the decision to buy the land on which to build their new home in Peachtree Corners an easy one to make. Their family members live nearby, and the neighborhood is close to their children’s school and extracurricular activities. They also quickly made the decision to bring Cristi Holcombe onto the project as their full-service interior designer. She had redesigned and restyled a few small projects at their former home, and they realized they needed her professional expertise to guide them through the greater number of decisions needed during this much larger project they had begun planning with Logan Design Group Architects. “When we were doing an addition to our former home, Cristi was instrumental in pointing out an issue that we had not considered,” says Beth Pombo. “Thanks to her, we were able to stop the construction process before it got any further along and fix the problem. She caught something that would have cost us a lot of money.”
Holcombe’s illustrious career has garnered her a great deal of diverse experience. She has designed numerous homes as a production designer on the set of HGTV’s Emmy Award-winning show Elbow Room. She also has managed multimillion-dollar design projects for hotels and designed community concepts for a national homebuilder. Along the way, she learned how to effectively manage a project and keep it on budget, a prized characteristic that defines her residential work today. “I understand the building process, the limitations of the process and the need to work within investment numbers so that the project doesn’t get out of control,” she says.
Holcombe began the Pombos’ home construction process with an immediate win—helping the team expedite permitting by recommending experienced builder John Willis Custom Homes to take over the cumbersome process. Then, she turned her attention to understanding what the Pombos were looking for in a family home. “Cristi was really good at taking our inspirational pictures, adding both of our personalities into the mix and putting the pieces of the puzzle together to give us everything we wanted,” Pombo says.
During an impromptu tour of a friend’s home, the friend mentioned to Pombo that Cristi Holcombe Interiors designed her spaces. “We loved the home’s design, which confirmed that Cristi would understand what we liked and wanted in our home,” Pombo says.
“Many of the inspirational photos that Beth and Mathew sent showed neutral interiors with minimal trim and organic influences,” says Holcombe. “I understood the direction they wanted to take the design—I call it ‘minimalistic grandeur.’”
Holcombe added Elizabeth Tallman as lead designer to the team. Together, they brainstormed how to make 12-foot-tall ceilings on the main level of the three-story home feel cozy and not cold and cavernous. This was especially important in the dining room, where the ceilings soar to 20 feet. The solution came when they added wood throughout clean-lined interiors and natural, textural lighting fixtures.
“The wooden beams in the open concept main level are reminiscent of mountain homes,” Holcombe explains. “We married that aesthetic with the clean lines of California coastal style to create a home that was transitional in tone.” White oak on the dining room’s vaulted ceiling and patinaed beams and trim that mark the transition between family room and kitchen warm the spaces. “We couldn’t find a beam long enough for the expanse between the kitchen and family room, so we custom-designed a boxed beam, then mitered and distressed it so that it looks solid,” she notes.
In the kitchen, which is one of Holcombe’s favorite areas to design, the team hand-selected limestone blocks to line the arched connection between the kitchen and the scullery. White oak custom cabinetry with striated grain detailing adds another layer of warmth into the room. Holcombe searched for a long time to find just the right slab of Taj Mahal quartzite for the kitchen’s countertops. “We needed a very large slab for the island with a waterfall edge,” she explains. “The island is 6 feet by 12 feet, so it took some time to find the right stone with neutral veining that was in keeping with the color palette and which didn’t require a seam.” She also ran Taj Mahal onto the range backsplash, nestling it under a custom plaster vent hood with sinuous curves.
Throughout the home, organic chandeliers amplify the coziness created by the warm, off-white walls painted in Sherwin-Williams’ “Alabaster.” This lighting includes a trio of clustered rattan pendants over the dining table, which balances the extraordinarily tall ceilings in the room and brings the space down to human scale.
Holcombe kept the neutral color palette interesting by adding depth through varying the tones from dark to light. On the stairway accent wall, for instance, horizontally laid shiplap is painted in Sherwin-Williams’ versatile “Iron Ore,” a deep charcoal gray-black that works with both warm and cool interiors.
The family is happy with how the design team structured the spaces, carving out zones for each family member to have what they need. “I love how the far end of the main level is set aside for the adults,” says Pombo. “Our bedroom suite, offices and laundry room—everything I need on a daily basis—are all together. Cristi tucked my office inside the huge laundry room, with a connecting door to Matt’s office. Along with the dog wash, it is a very functional space for how we live.”
Holcombe also customized the primary suite specifically for the couple, suggesting his-and-her water closets and separate clothes closets. “When my friends come over, they are jealous of the his-and-her toilet rooms and wish they had the same in their own homes,” says Pombo, laughing. While practical, the room still boasts luxury-level features, with a solid stone freestanding tub set against a plaster accent wall and topped by a quadruple-tiered chandelier made of woven abaca rope. Curved walls replicate the elegant look of plaster throughout the space.
Practicality and functionality continue on the upper level, which is dedicated to the children’s bedrooms and a media room set aside just for them. “It’s nice to have this space where they can hang out with their friends while the adults use the recreation room on the terrace level,” Pombo says.
When putting the final styling touches on the home, Holcombe was able to turn to a ready resource—her own interior design and gift retail shop, CH Home. Located in Johns Creek, CH Home is stocked with design finds chosen by Holcombe. From accessories to custom-upholstered furniture, the shop carries a range of interior upgrades that can add a finishing touch or a bit of oomph to a room. “Beyond home décor, we’ve expanded our selection to items such as candles and jewelry, making it easy to find the perfect piece for a hostess, shower or birthday gift,” says Holcombe. “CH Home has become the local neighborhood gift shop.”
The homeowners are happy with their new home and the worry-free process that got them there—from the first drawing to the last accessory put in place by the design team. “We got everything we wanted at a price point that was affordable,” Pombo says. “We are so happy with all of the professionals that worked on our home, and we recommend Cristi Holcombe Interiors to lots of our friends.”
“There is something magical about putting a design plan together for a client and then seeing it come to life,” Holcombe says. “I love the intricacies of seeing a new home being built. New construction is my jam, and these homeowners were perfect clients. The Pombos trusted us with the process and knew we were doing the very best for them.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
While the process may overwhelm some people, designer Cristi Holcombe thrives on the details. She particularly loves guiding homeowners through the process of building a new home or undertaking a major renovation or home addition.
