At the corner of Oak St. and Walnut St. in the Historical district of Decatur, Alabama sits an amazing Art Deco house designed by the then-head of the Auburn architecture department, Edwin Lancaster.
The stunning limestone block structure was built in 1939 as a wedding gift for the daughter of Ruby Nash of the Decatur Bottling Co, a distributor of Coca Cola. Today, Carl and Kate Cole call this app. 6300 sq. ft. recently renovated jewel home.
Kate Cole, a Decatur native has loved this house since she was in high school and dreamed of the possibility it could one day be her home. She managed to get an invitation to the Christmas party underway here one year and immediately appreciated its unique character and unusual streamlined design.
Originally, the home included a vault for keeping the furs and very fine theatrical costume collection of the owner at a proper temperature and humidity. At some point, the vault was removed to enlarge the kitchen. Though built at a time when closets were uncommon, the blueprints for this house provided lots of closets and a laundry chute to the basement.
The original expansive basement was wide open, as in a gymnasium, and sported a shuffleboard court and a round well -stocked bar configured of curving glass blocks. Today the basement functions as a TV/family room with a pool table, has a playroom for their young son and a large laundry room. While the original bar remains it is secluded in a separate nook.
The Art Deco front door opens onto a spiral staircase that immediately impresses. The main level of the home contains a large living area with a marble fireplace, a semi-circular solarium, a dining area, a chef’s kitchen and a space used as a home office.
Though very spacious, the scale and flow of the house fosters comfortable and welcoming informality with curving walls and unexpected features such as original built-in water fountains that can be hooked up to hidden “bladders” filled with cola or other liquid refreshments.
Kate credits Glee Sides, of Glee’s Interiors on Bank Street in Decatur with guiding her design decisions and cultivating her artistic eye. Warm colors and interesting art tie the rooms together as does the travertine flooring that is used throughout.
Keeping such a large home comfortable and affordable meant installing several Art Cool units. Made by LG, these units are single-zone air conditioning systems that look like TV sets. The frame makes it possible to customize each unit by adding a photograph or painting into the frame. The Coles have one in each bedroom and in the large kitchen to supplement the central HVAC system.
At the top of the spiral staircase are the bedrooms and a huge deck overlooking the original in-ground pool. The deck is actually the rooftop of the street level garage and storage areas. The deck and the balconies of this home are surrounded by railings that often curve, adding to the whimsy of the design.
Overall, the exterior appearance of the house resembles a ship ready to set sail. The massive limestone blocks and glass blocks used as building materials mean there is no wood framing anywhere except for the entrance to the basement’s “coal room.” Originally heated by a coal furnace the chute is a reminder that coal was dumped into the basement from the street level above.
Though built in 1939, this is a very livable home for 2016. Carl and Kate are very happy to own this unique piece of Decatur history. There is certainly nothing else like it in an area where most of the homes are much older and more characteristic of Tudor, Victorian, American Gothic or Cottage styling. They are in love with this very “cool space” and are thrilled to call it home.
Home Design
