GREECE LIGHTNING

Light years ahead of designers twice her age, 25 year old Niki Papadopoulos shares a chic Atlanta club room sure to have residents shouting “Opa!”

Written by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio and styling by Niki Papadopoulos

FACT : I sometimes bring up Niki Papadopoulos in conversation solely for the phonetic opportunity to say her last name.  If you too experienced the five-syllable-strong verbal pleasure, just wait until your retinas get hold of the eye candy that is Niki’s exquisite body of design work.  A native Californian, Niki headed to Atlanta to earn a B.F.A. in interior design from AIU, graduated, and is now a permanent fixture at Mark Williams Design Associates.

Niki is one of those people whose personal style translates seamlessly to interiors.  Sophisticated but playful.  Modern yet timeless.   She’s got the well-edited aesthetic of someone with four decades of experience mixed with the fresh fearlessness of someone right out of school.  Back in 1984 while I was busy color-coordinating my Atari game cartridges and listening to Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual, Niki was also busy…..being born.  If Mrs. Papadopoulos is creating spaces as chic as this club room below — at only 25 years of age — can you image what’s yet to come?

Retail therapy

Believe it or not, almost every item in this exquisitely tailored designer room was bought at a retail store!  Niki’s look is always modern in approach yet classic in aesthetic.  CLASSIC : The celery green tufted sofa is from the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams “Chester” collection.  MODERN : the “Womb” chair from Design Within Reach in “Pumpernickel” Classic Boucle by Knoll.

The notes of a scale

There are often notes to be taken on how Niki plays with scale.  A ginormous pendant from C Lighting boldly anchors the space making it much more intimate.  Stripes of various sizes in the carpet add an element of graphic movement to the floor.  The resin side table and pair of high-back grey “Ajax” chairs from Oly are reminiscent of John Dickinson.  Residents gather around the reasonably priced “STRUT” coffee table from Blu Dot for just about any activity.  For alluring accessories, Niki scored the chunky aqua and olive ceramics at a great price point from Z Gallerie.

The John Dickinson inspired legs of Oly's "Ajax" chair

Gender neutral upholstery and throw pillows in Knoll's "Classic Boucle"

Classic diamond tufting detail on the Chester Collection sofa

All the small things

Attention to detail is everything with interiors.  Bucking the idea of an expected area rug, Niki instead delineated the wetbar from the lounge with a section of inlaid carpet surrounded by a perimeter of walnut hardwoods. Look closely and you’ll notice the same exact hues of brown and celery from the “Womb” chair and “Chester Collection” sofa appear in the stripes of the carpet.

 POP!-adopoulos

When it comes to meetings or meals, the wet bar area of the club room is the place to be.  Scale, again, plays a big part in the success of this area.  Niki truly let the Aqua/Blue “Real Good” chairs from Blu Dot take center stage with a backdrop of white 6X10 subway tiles and a medium stain on the floors.  PS — the chairs are a major cost saver — only $129 apiece! Retail, again, rocks this space with a discontinued table from Crate & Barrel.  I asked Niki how the hell she manages to make retail look so damn chic, she replied “Retail can be amazing if you stay away from overdone iconic items.  Z Gallerie, West Elm and IKEA have great stuff — just don’t buy the super popular pieces”.

Jenny from the block

The walls are alive with the art of Jenny Henley.  Each block is approximately 5X5 and contains a different vintage looking image.  Although purchased separately, when hung as a group they create somewhat of a story.  Niki was initially drawn to a graphic image of an empty shopping cart, then the rest just fell into place.  Caesarstone in a lime green hue graces the countertop of the wetbar.

For more on Niki, check out the blogtastic YummyScrumptious.