By Donna CorneliusMary and Mims Cooper knew the house they’d bought on La Playa Place in Homewood needed some work. They just didn’t know quite how much.“My husband had done some renovations before, but not to this extent,” Mary Cooper said. “When we started, there was a vacant lot near here where someone was building a new house. That house was completely built while … [Read more...]

By Donna Cornelius One of the things Bill Aroosian likes hearing about the spaces he creates isn’t a comment on a striking sofa, his color combinations or an eye-catching accessory. “People often say my rooms are warm,” the designer said. “I try to make my rooms places where people can feel comfortable, and they tend to congregate there.” Aroosian designed the living room in … [Read more...]

By Donna CorneliusMany who visit the 2015 Decorators’ ShowHouse may have driven past the house without even knowing it was there.The sprawling Upton Estate is separated from Altadena Road in Vestavia Hills by woods and a winding driveway.“When you come down that long driveway, you don’t know what you’re going to see,” said Nan Teninbaum, the ShowHouse’s publicity … [Read more...]