JIM WEINBERG AT THE ATLANTA SHOW HOUSE

I've always enjoyed reading biographies - learning the details of others' lives is interesting, educational, and, I often find, encouraging. But sometimes I come across a person who lives life so thoroughly, and creatively, that I'm reminded of Thoreau's wish: "I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." Today I'm writing about Jim Weinberg, a man who certainly knows how to get the most out of his creative mind. Where do I start? He's a designer, but he's also the person who invented the Adopt-A-Highway concept, pioneered yellow tennis balls (not kidding), designed homewares with Giorgio Armani, and some of his furniture designs are in MOMA's collections. He ALSO makes his home in Atlanta, pioneering the Livable Lifestyles concept and designing for celebrity clients. He definitely puts the "multi" in "multi-talented.

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to tour the Atlanta Decorator's Show House and Gardens with Jim, and he graciously showed me around his marvelously inventive space in the house - a young gentlemen's bedroom with a tribute to the Beatles. Here's an exclusive peak at this wonderful room, and some of the ideas that inspired it. Hang on to your hats!

This room proves that a great design can appeal to everyone; I love how it caters to two generations, creating a playful yet practical room a mom and her son could both love. The Beatles artwork is a clever take on the traditional "posters-tacked-on-the-walls" necessary to adolescence, and the draped walls (designed to cover murals retained by the owners) give it a cozy, cocoon-like feel. Perfect for a growing teen and budding musician. Oh, and mom might like how all that fabric muffles the sound of drums...

A personal touch. This is Weinberg's own drumset - from his 17-year-old self! Note the coco brown shag - I was wearing six-inch platforms, and I sank deep into this floor - it gave the room an incredibly fun vintage vibe. The artwork is something parents could cheer:  it was commissioned especially for this space from Atlanta artist Nancy Ballew.

"We all live in a yellow submarine...
And our friends are all aboard,
Many more of them live next door."
(presumably in some sort of oxygen-providing apparatus)

Classic Beatles:  the Abbey Road sign sets the stage and the throw pillows are custom-designed to evoke  musical clefs and staff. The bed skirt is an amazing distressed leather; the teenage boy who would live here probably has a jacket in his closet to match! The glowing globe is vintage 1920s, sports gear hangs out in the corner waiting for its owner to gear up for some after-school practice, and just out of sight is a red lava lamp. Also not visible? A laser projecting abstract light patterns on the ceiling. Who wouldn't have wanted THAT in High School?!
Don't forget to look up! The tassel trim along the crown molding is a riff on Sgt. Pepper's epaulettes. Clever, what?

We'll end the tour with a detail of the adjoining bathroom that got a laugh from so many visitors to the Show House:  Ringo was here! And he left more than his drums - maybe he'll come back to Atlanta soon? We can only dream...

Special thanks to Jim Weinberg for a wonderful tour and the images above! 
All photographs are by Robert Thien Inc. of Atlanta

Images:  all room images, provided by Jim Weinberg. Photos by Robert Thien. Beatles/Sgt. Pepper. Yellow submarine image.