Artist in Residence: A Collage Artist’s Soulful Bungalow in Augusta, Georgia
“Gabi Hutchison is a collage artist from Augusta, Georgia. She is heavily influenced by texture and proportion. Her work is the result of an intuitive process in which she focuses on soft, organic, fluid shapes as well as texture, pattern, color and all the ways they interact.”
The above is from Gabi’s artist statement, but it also aptly describes her sensibility when it comes to designing her home, a sweet, modest 1936 bungalow that is a pastiche of artwork (including her own beautiful collages), hand-made ceramics, vintage finds, and artisan-crafted pieces. Every detail seems to have a human touch.
Gabi shares the home with her husband, David, as well as two dogs and two cats; the upstairs apartment is occupied by David’s father. “It’s a good setup for us. He can easily come downstairs for dinners on occasion, and when he was injured recently, it was good to be close by to care for him,” she says.
Her father-in-law is, conveniently, a retired architect. “He and I got to work closely on the designs of the house, which was a delight! We have similar tastes when it comes to finishes and fixtures,” she shares. “I helped him decorate his apartment as well, and it’s something I’ll always treasure.”
“We want our home to not only be a place of beauty (though that doesn’t hurt), but also a place that serves our needs and the needs of others, whether family, friend, or stranger,” Gabi continues. “We hope we have designed our home to make people feel good while they are here.”
Let’s take a tour of Gabi and David’s deeply soulful and, yes, feel-good bungalow.
Photography by Gabi Hutchison. (You can follow her via her blog are on Instagram.)
Above: Gabi’s eclectic sensibility is apparent as soon as you enter the front door. The pendant light is from Schoolhouse; the doormat is by Alyson Fox for Hawkins NY; the console is from an antique store; and the Iris Hantverk hooks are from EA/ST Co.
Above: Hanging above the bookcase by Modern Shelving is a Valton Murray painting. “It took us a very long time to pay it off and it was worth the wait,” Gabi shared on Instagram. “We feel so, so grateful to have Valton Murray’s vibrant and evocative work in our home.” The couch is from Ikea.
Above: The PS Cabinet, an Ikea classic, serves as the TV stand. Behind it hangs a large artwork by Lauryn Sprouse and a walnut wall light by The Good Flock. On the coffee table are a rope basket by Doug Johnston and a vase from East Fork.
Above: Gabi had the vintage armchairs reupholstered. She collects pottery—both secondhand and new from local potters—and displays them throughout her home.
Above: “Other than the bathroom, the kitchen was the only room that was fully gutted. My father-in-law helped us figure out the best use of space, and even then we added the butcher block island because we could use the extra counter space,” Gabi tells us. “The cabinets are custom, as are the concrete countertops. I try to balance out all of the warm wood tones with art and pottery.”
Above: The wall-mounted shelving is by Blake Avenue. Under it is a Good Thing dustpan and broom on a hook by Iris Hantverk.
Above: A Liebherr refrigerator and Bosch double oven are integrated into this wall of cabinets. Hanging above it all is one of Gabi’s collages that she sells via her Instagram account.
Above: Fireclay tiles make up the backsplash. The utensil holder is by local potter Wade Franklin.
Above: A 25-year-old ficus, gifted by a friend, anchors a corner of the dining room. In the other corner, a painting of Spock, found at a flea market, holds court. Ikea dining chairs surround an antique farm table.
Above: A custom concrete fireplace mantle provides a dark counterpoint to the otherwise light and airy room.
Above: The couple’s bedroom has ample light thanks to two exposures. And, as in the other rooms in the house, books and art are prioritized (the couple own a bookstore in town called the Book Tavern). Here, their books are organized on wall shelves by Tee Books.
Above: Floor-length Ikea curtains soften the look in the bedroom. The Amigo Modern chair was a gift from a friend, the wood stool a gift from Gabi’s father-in-law. A white Arnold Circus stool is used as a side table.
Above: Both the bed and the lamp are from CB2.
Above: Umbra’s Crunch Can Hamper, a Remodelista favorite, sits next to an antique armoire handed down from David’s grandparents. The artwork is by Jen Garrido.
Above: The office is appointed with mid-century vintage furniture.
Above: More vintage finds in this corner of the office, including a slatted chair scored at a flea market and a thrifted rolling cabinet. The wall lamp is from West Elm.
Above: Gabi is a pro at styling her home. Case in point: A framed Mike Mills poster, a sculptural lamp (a gift from a friend), and Ikebana vases by Notary Ceramics make for a pretty tablescape.
Above: A sweet photograph of David and Gabi casually displayed.
Above: “I knew I wanted a muted palette for the bathroom, and a style that leaned toward modern but wasn’t stark,” says Gabi. The sink and bathtub are by Badeloft. The lighting is by Triple Seven Home, and the Hinoki stool from Nalata Nalata was a gift from her father-in-law.
Above: “The tile was sourced from a local shop, and it’s now discontinued. We learned that the hard way when a few of the tiles had to be replaced. Luckily my father-in-law found some,” says Gabi. The medicine cabinet is from Wet Style. The ceramic vessels are by Wade Franklin.
For more homes owned by artists, see: