Banish Bland! Lacy Lange’s University Park French Eclectic Home Will Color You Happy

Thank goodness for talents like those of interior designer Lacy Lange. Her gorgeous University Park French Eclectic home is the inspiration we need right now. After a decade of bland beige and gloomy gray, we are ready for color, and Lange offers it up with imagination and ingenuity.

It’s evident that her design started at the curb of her beautiful French Eclectic home, setting her palette with pale pink impatiens and soft green shutters.

Lange grew up with a mother who loved color during an era when we could not get enough of Waverly fabrics and wallpapers. The dye was set, so to speak, and she was able to fully express her craving for color in this French Eclectic home. 

“It was a white box inside with wood floors and beautiful molding when we purchased it,” Lange said. “It had great bones but lacked the personality we felt it needed. We intended to live in this home for a long time, so we decided to go for it!”

As I suspected, she indeed began at the curb.

“I wanted it to have the look of the outside repeat on the inside,” Lange said.

The moment you open the door, you get it. The soft palette of green, blue, pink, and lavender is like a warm hug. Generally, every home begins with artwork, which is certainly the case here. The Langes commissioned a piece of art from Ashley Longshore for their anniversary.

“The theme of our wedding was Be Our Guest, so we had a ‘B” added to the artwork,” Lange said. “I wanted it to be the opening to our family story.” 

Lange’s favorite area of her colorful University Park French Eclectic home is the formal living room. She used a lavender Schumacher grass cloth on the walls, matched the ceiling paint to it, and lacquered the trim. It plays beautifully against the chartreuse velvet sofa and the custom artwork of the couple’s children.

“We love to have the fireplace on and have coffee or cocktails here,” Lange said.

Moving into the dining room, Lange used Griffin & Wong wallpaper and blended an antique buffet from LoLo Antiques with a dining table from On Consignment and dining chairs from Wisteria. Mixing high design with retail finds from Home Goods and Target is integral to her colorful and whimsical aesthetic.  

The enormous family room presented a challenge, but Lange met it with aplomb. She installed a double sofa, cleverly dividing the room into a sitting area and a game center. Lange is an ardent Mahjong player, and her family loves cards, games, and puzzles, so the game table is in constant use. 

One of the most captivating areas is the breakfast room. Lange started with the Slim Aarons photograph and the idea of latticework.

“I knew I wanted a traditional style with a modern flair,” Lange said. “The lattice was done by hand. It’s individual pieces. We wanted it to feel more organic and not engineered.”

Her contractor was on scaffolding for eight weeks, cutting and installing individual pieces.

Lange loves her colorful French Eclectic home, her neighbors, and the wonderful location. She had no intention of moving but you know how it goes. Suddenly, you find a house that tugs at your heartstrings again, and you know you have to make it your own. But this one is not going to be easy to leave. Her design perspective is that a home should spark joy.

“You want to be happy in a home and feel joy when you walk inside,” Lange said. “I hope this home gives as much joy to a new owner as it has given to us.”

Allie Beth Allman’s Lauren Shuford Laughry has this colorful University Park French Eclectic home at 3420 Bryn Mawr Drive available for $4.95 million.