The Andrew Calhoun House

One of the most beloved houses in Atlanta is the Andrew Calhoun house, more commonly referred to as the "Pink Palace". Built in 1922-23 and designed by architect Philip Shutze, who was at that time an apprentice at Hentz, Reid, & Adler, the Italian Baroque-style house was inspired by Shutze's studies in Italy.  When the house was originally built, one entered the drive from West Paces Ferry Road, through magnificent gates which gave visitors a stunning view of the house's garden facade (photo #2).  The entry was at the rear, where the view was rather austere though still quite dignified.  (Photo #1) 

Some of the more notable features of the house are the ornate plasterwork (just look at those door surrounds, below) as well as a few Allyn Cox murals, of which only one remains.  You might recall that another notable Atlanta house, the Goodrum house, also boasts an Allyn Cox mural.

The first seven photos of this post came from the September 1978 issue of House Beautiful. At that time, the interiors were the work of the well-respected Atlanta designer, T. Gordon Little. (Click here to see more of Little's work.) Little wisely chose quiet furnishings for the home, allowing the house's architecture to play the leading role. With plasterwork like this, who needs bold prints or bright colors?

To bring this story current, I am also including a few photos that appeared in the February 2012 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles. The magazine printed a really terrific article about the Calhoun House with recent photos by Atlanta architect Peter Block and comments by several other Atlanta architects. (Do click the link to read it; it's an intriguing read.) The house is currently on the market, although it very well could have sold recently and I'm just not aware of it. I sincerely hope that the future homeowners, as well as the designer of their choosing, will respect the house's architectural integrity and its stately Southern charm. The last thing this house needs is a makeover in the Belgian cum Southern rustic look or Hollywood Regency style.  Now that would be a crying shame.

One of three Allyn Cox murals originally executed for the house, the entry hall's Roman-themed mural is the only one that remains.

The living room as decorated by T. Gordon Little.

The dining room with its plaster medallion of Michelangelo, which is original to the house.

The doorway that leads to my favorite room of the house, the ballroom.

A detail shot of the house's front, or garden, facade.

This recent photo of the ballroom, taken by Peter Block, looks more or less as it did in the late 1970s.

The living room retains much of the furnishings that were selected decades ago by Little.


Photos #1-#7 from House Beautiful, September 1978, Peter Aaron photographer. Peter Block's photos, which appeared in the February 2012 issue of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles were used with express permission from the magazine.