WHEN BLAIR, CO-HOST OF THE FORBES-FEATURED MOMS ACTUALLY podcast, and Norman, a Grammy-winning music producer, Gyamfi relocated from South Carolina to Atlanta in 2023, they were immediately ready to settle into their forever home. The couple had found a property with potential. But potential was all it had.

“When we first walked through the house, it was clear that it wasn’t up to its price point,” recalls Brenda Thompson, founder of HouseLift Design, the Atlanta-based interior design firm tasked with transforming the 10,000-square-foot residence. “The bones were good, but the home could be so much better.”

Where others might have seen a problem house, the HouseLift team saw an opportunity. What followed was a comprehensive transformation that would showcase Thompson’s signature ability to reimagine spaces and solve architectural puzzles. The once uninspired interiors now have a layered, organic modern aesthetic that feels both elevated and deeply personal.

However, this project wasn’t just about aesthetics. “With two demanding careers and young children, the Gyamfis needed spaces that could adapt to multiple uses while maintaining a sense of calm cohesion,” Thompson says. Their approach was methodical: understand how the family actually lives, identify where the existing architecture failed to support that lifestyle, then creatively problem-solve solutions that feel organic rather than forced.

The challenges were significant. First, the entry lacked the grandeur appropriate for a home of this scale. A single door opened to a cramped space with a bathroom awkwardly positioned at the front of the house. There was no proper foyer, no moment of arrival that set the tone for what lay beyond.

HouseLift’s solution required both architectural vision and spatial creativity. The misplaced bathroom was removed entirely, a bold move that freed up critical square footage. In its place, the team designed a foyer that matches the home’s scale and sophistication and allows the eye to travel through the home to the back of the property.

The main level of the home embodies HouseLift’s signature approach to livable luxury. In the living room, the team addressed the challenge of making a large, formal space feel intimate and inviting. The solution illustrates an advanced understanding of proportion and scale. Oversize mirrors with organic frames flank a contemporary fireplace, their arched forms reflect light throughout the space and add visual height, making the already generous room feel even more expansive without losing warmth.

The design team arranged seating in intimate groupings that break up the room’s volume. A sumptuous cream sofa with textured pillows faces a curved, contemporary chair in warm tan leather. A complementary velvet bench sofa provides additional flexible seating. The color palette draws from nature: creamy whites, warm taupes, soft grays and earthy browns create layers of subtle sophistication. Every choice was deliberate; every element works together to solve the problem of how to make grandeur feel approachable.

The music room presented another design challenge: how to celebrate Norman Gyamfi’s Grammy-winning career without turning the space into a trophy room. HouseLift’s solution was to create custom cabinetry that functions as both display and architecture. The charcoal-painted built-ins flanking the modern arched fireplace provide dedicated spaces for the awards alongside curated objects and decorative pieces.

Here, a grand piano commands attention before a dramatic floor-to-ceiling window that frames views of the wooded property beyond. Comfortable seating introduces texture while maintaining the organic feel. A sculptural side table with fluted details adds artisanal character.

One of the home’s most unexpected moments occurs in Blair Gyamfi’s office, exemplifying HouseLift’s willingness to push creative boundaries. Recognizing that a home office can easily become sterile and forgettable, the team used large-scale wallpaper featuring soft, organic forms in subtle tones that resemble watercolor clouds frozen in time. Against this artistic backdrop, the office maintains its functionality with cabinetry in warm wood tones, contemporary seating in neutral fabrics and sculptural side tables that echo the mural’s organic forms. A statement chandelier with a sculptural, linear quality hangs overhead, its brass finish catching light and adding warmth.

The powder room features a delightful custom abstract mural by local artist Christina Kwan. “We wanted to do something unexpected in this space,” Thompson says. The collaboration between designer and artist resulted in an utterly captivating room and is evidence of HouseLift’s belief that functional spaces also deserve artistic treatment.

The primary suite renovation represented one of the project’s most significant architectural transformations. Initially configured in what Thompson diplomatically calls “a really weird” layout, the space was fundamentally flawed. The proportions were off, the flow didn’t make sense and, worst of all, the closet situation was entirely inadequate for the clients’ needs. Rather than try to work around these limitations, Thompson advocated for a complete gut renovation, reimagining the suite as a luxurious haven with a two-sided fireplace.

The room’s palette is decidedly serene. An upholstered bed in natural linen is dressed in layers of textured bedding in complementary neutral tones. At the foot of the bed, a sculptural bench in deep olive velvet introduces a subtle pop of color while maintaining the organic feel. Abstract artwork in warm earth tones hangs above the bed, its brushstrokes echoing the room’s natural textures.

Floor-to-ceiling draperies in soft neutral linen filter natural light and add to the room’s sense of quiet luxury. Modern pendant lights hang from either side of the bed, simple black fixtures with a warm glow that provide reading light without disrupting the room’s peaceful aesthetic.

The primary bathroom continues this serenity, and here again, HouseLift’s attention to detail and material selection shine. The team employed a sophisticated mix of materials: a generous vanity in warm-toned wood features clean-lined cabinetry with both closed and open storage. Above the countertop, an arched mirror with a slim brass frame echoes the architectural arches found elsewhere in the home, creating visual continuity that makes the entire residence feel intentionally, holistically designed.

Flanking the mirror are vertical sconce lights with brass frames and white glass, their linear quality adding a contemporary edge while their warm glow creates a flattering, spa-like atmosphere.

But the primary suite’s true showstopper, and perhaps the best example of Thompson’s creative problem-solving prowess, lies beyond: the two-story closet system that has become one of the home’s most celebrated features.

“One of our favorite things was accommodating their closet needs,” Thompson says. “The closet wasn’t nearly the size it could or should have been. It was never going to work.” Most designers would have simply maximized the existing footprint and called it a day. Thompson saw a better solution, one that required thinking three-dimensionally and across floors.

She noticed that the basement below lined up perfectly with the existing closet location. What if, instead of treating the basement as strictly entertaining space, a portion was carved out for his closet and connected to her main-level closet via a spiral staircase? The idea was audacious, but Thompson knew it would transform a limitation into a signature feature.

Her main-level closet presents as a bright, boutique-like space with floor-to-ceiling built-ins in crisp white. HouseLift ensured every detail was designed to maximize both function and beauty. Shoes are displayed on illuminated shelves like precious objects in a museum, while handbags occupy their own illuminated niches with glass fronts. A sculptural chandelier with brass wire elements and a white conical shade adds a touch of glamour overhead. The floor features elegant marble tiles, and a soft sculptural chair provides a place to sit while trying on shoes. Every detail has been considered to make the daily ritual of getting dressed feel special and effortless. Look below and you’ll see a dramatic black spiral staircase descending to the lower-level closet. Walking down these stairs feels like entering a different world, which is exactly as the team intended.

His closet embraces a dramatically different aesthetic, showcasing HouseLift’s ability to create distinct environments within a single home. Where the upstairs space is bright and airy, downstairs is dark, moody and masculine, but no less luxurious. The walls are painted in deep charcoal, creating an intimate, enveloping atmosphere. A custom-designed closet system in warm wood tones with integrated LED lighting displays clothing, shoes and accessories like artwork. Glass-fronted cases protect and showcase special pieces. A dramatic chandelier hangs overhead, adding unexpected glamour to this tailored masculine retreat.

“This has become one of Norman’s favorite spaces in the house,” Thompson notes. “It’s not just functional storage. It’s a retreat where he can enjoy his collection.” The two-story closet solution perfectly captures HouseLift’s approach: identify the real problem, think beyond conventional solutions and create something that exceeds expectations.

If the main level is about serene family living, the basement is pure indulgence, and it required the team to completely reimagine what a basement could be. “The basement had previously been a typical basement space,” Thompson explains. Typical meant underutilized, poorly lit and forgettable. She envisioned something radically different: a restaurant-quality entertainment venue that feels like a members-only club.

Achieving this required addressing multiple challenges simultaneously. Basements typically suffer from low ceilings, poor natural light and awkward proportions. Thompson turned these limitations into assets. By painting the ceilings dark to make them recede visually, using strategic lighting to create pools of warm illumination and designing custom built-ins and architectural features, the team gave the space structure and definition.

The basement bar is a study in sophisticated drama and meticulous detailing. Behind the bar, the team incorporated a marble and mirror backsplash in black and cream that creates a bold graphic statement. The bar front features fluted wood panels with integrated lighting that casts a warm glow. Black leather barstools with curved backs line the counter, inviting guests to settle in for the evening.

The bar area is designed to flow into multiple lounge spaces, each with its own character but united by a rich, moody palette. This required careful space planning to create distinct zones within an open floor plan. In one seating area, a channel-tufted banquette in deep teal velvet stretches along the wall, custom-built to fit the exact dimensions of the space. It is flanked by chairs in complementary tangerine and forest green velvet.

Perhaps most impressive is that this comprehensive transformation, touching nearly every space in the home, was completed on an expedited schedule. The Gyamfi family was eager to settle in, and typical timelines for a project of this scope would have meant many more months of waiting. This timeline challenge required the HouseLift team to exercise yet another set of problem-solving skills: project management, vendor coordination and strategic decision-making under pressure.

Today, the Gyamfi residence stands as a testament to what’s possible when skilled designers truly listen to their clients’ needs and then apply creative problem-solving to exceed them. HouseLift didn’t impose a single aesthetic across the home. Instead, distinct environments were created that reflect both her love for calm, neutral spaces and his appreciation for moodier, more dramatic interiors. This required constant calibration, ensuring that each space felt true to its purpose while contributing to the home’s overall narrative.

“Blair was our main point of contact and was gracious, trusting and appreciative throughout every phase,” Thompson recalls. “Seeing their reactions as each space came together was incredibly fulfilling.” That trust allowed Thompson the creative freedom to propose bold solutions like the two-story closet, the basement transformation and the custom mural.

This is livable luxury at its finest: beautiful enough to be featured in magazines, but comfortable and personal enough to be truly called home. More importantly, it’s a showcase of HouseLift’s philosophy that good design isn’t about following trends or applying formulas. It’s about seeing potential where others see problems, thinking creatively about space and architecture, and having the skill and confidence to execute a vision that transforms not just rooms but how people experience their homes. *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

The main level of the home embodies HouseLift’s signature approach to livable luxury.

In the living room, the team addressed the challenge of making a large, formal space feel intimate and inviting.