An Unapologetically Glam Georgia Home

My house used to have zero personality,” says Dayka Robinson of her Stone Mountain, GA, home, with its old café au lait walls, brown silk curtains and random assortment of play-it-safe furniture. “It’s like a completely different person decorated the place!” But as the years went on, Dayka developed a serious interest in design (she started her own firm in 2009), and the bold look she was drawn to took shape. Among the signature moves she now relies on: a high-contrast black, white and gold palette; overscale patterns; and pops of surprising colors, such as chartreuse and magenta.

But her propensity toward posh doesn’t mean she spends a fortune. “I’m a master at seeing potential where others see trash,” says Dayka. “I’ve learned to search high and low for secondhand pieces that are real conversation-starters.” Her coffee table, for example, came from the estate sale of a woman with a penchant for ’80s decor, and the big wood table she uses as a desk in her office was $10 at a thrift store. “I’ve come a long way, both as a designer and as a woman,” says Dayka. “I’m not afraid to make risky decisions. In the end, those are the ones I love most.”

“Black-and-white is my go-to — I love the contrast and the option to mix in color when and where I want,” says Dayka. The living room started with a brown cotton-blend sofa from City Issue Atlanta — it works with the black-and-white because of its modern shape. After hanging vertical-stripe IKEA drapes, she added in more geometric patterns with a wool-blend rug from Jaipur Living and orange pillows from The Pillow Collection. The brass-base coffee table was $40 at an estate sale. The decorative tortoiseshells above the sofa are Nate Berkus for Target; Dayka painted them Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams.

To take the kitchen “from 1980s-builder-grade to sexy,” Dayka brought in pros to paint the decades-old brown wood cabinets black with Rust-Oleum protective enamel, which gave them a super-glossy finish. Then she added glass and brass knobs from Anthropologie and painted the window trim Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams. The Roman shade is made from an IKEA curtain panel. “It’s one of my tricks — it costs less than fabric by the yard but looks just as good when finished,” she says. The pull-down faucet is by Enzo Rodi.

For a while, Dayka couldn’t decide how to upholster her Louis XV–style chairs found on Craigslist: Velvet? Mohair? She landed on faux croc because it’s durable, and, as she says, “I’m a dinner party person.” She couldn’t say no to the white campaign cabinet when a friend’s dentist who was retiring offered it up (for free!), but it faded into the then plain walls. So Dayka hung graphic black-and-gold wallpaper by Designers Guild. “When I showed it to my mom before I hung it, she asked if I was depressed,” recalls Dayka, laughing. “But now she gets it.” The curvy fuchsia lamps are from shopcandelabra.com, and the hide rug is from IKEA.