Midtown Penthouse – Selected Views
Buckhead Penthouse – Selected Views
6,000 sq ft Midtown Atlanta Penthouse – Two Units, One Livin
Project Overview
High above Midtown Atlanta, a client purchased two side-by-side, two-story penthouse units, each about 3,000 sq ft. Originally, they were builder-grade rental apartments: transitional interiors with aged wood floors, shaker cabinets, and travertine tile in the bathrooms.
Over several years and two major phases, GoToPros transformed and combined these tired units into a single, 6,000 sq ft modern penthouse: a calm, white, gallery-like home with one-of-a-kind custom moments—most notably a dramatic, story-driven bar at its heart.
How It Started – Phase 1
The relationship began when a designer from Cantoni introduced the client to Vyk. The client had just purchased the first 3,000 sq ft unit and wanted to remodel it into a clean, modern white interior.
After an initial conversation, Vyk created a mood board and material palette. The client immediately connected with the vision—the palette aligned perfectly with his taste—so he hired Vyk and GoToPros to design and build the project.
- The goal of Phase 1:
Turn a standard transitional, builder-grade condo into a modern, peaceful, white space, using shades of white and gray as the primary language.
- Timeline for first condo: about 8 months from design to completion.
- Result: the client was very happy with the outcome, and it built the trust for what came next.
Type: Luxury condo/penthouse complete transformation
Phase 2 – A Second Unit and a Bigger Vision
About three years later, another neighboring penthouse unit became available. The client called Vyk again:
“Come look at this. If the design makes sense, I’ll buy it—and we’ll combine them.”
Vyk scanned the new unit, developed a proposed design, and proved that the two condos could become one coherent 6,000 sq ft penthouse.
The client purchased the second unit and hired GoToPros again—this time with a deeper challenge:
- Combine the two units into one home.
- Add new functions that the first unit didn’t fully support.
- Create a bold, memorable bar to showcase the client’s collection of alcohol bottles from around the world.
- Push the design further, while staying inside a clean, white, modern framework—not theatrical, but elevated and experiential.
A Story-Driven Bar as an Alchemical Object
For the second unit, Vyk chose to begin with a story rather than just shapes and finishes. Shortly before designing the bar, he had spent ten days in the Peruvian jungle with shamans, participating in ayahuasca ceremonies. He does not rely on alcohol himself, so when his client—an avid collector of bottles from around the world—asked for a bar, Vyk approached it almost like an alchemist or storyteller.
In his mind, alcohol became a kind of witch’s poison: a beautiful, seductive substance that can charm, disinhibit, and expose human weakness. From that idea grew the vision of a honeycomb-like structure, its cells holding bottles like small potions. The shelves would be backlit with a warm, honey-colored glow to suggest honey, sweetness, and allure—a visual metaphor for attraction and temptation.
The bar was designed to create a strong visual and emotional pull. At the center of the combined penthouse, it acts as a sculptural installation rather than a typical bar. It acknowledges the client’s love of collecting and entertaining, while embedding a deeper narrative about desire, temptation, and awareness. In the middle of an otherwise calm, white, contemplative space, the bar becomes an alchemical object: equal parts gallery piece, social magnet, and quiet question about what we reach for and why.
Bar Fabrication & Installation
The bar, designed by Vyk around the client’s bottle collection and the honeycomb “witch’s poison” concept, was built in Lithuania by three artisans. Working for six months, seven days a week, they developed a piece that could be fabricated in segments, shipped safely, and reassembled inside the penthouse.
Shipped in a container and installed during COVID, the bar required international coordination, quarantine logistics, and precise on-site work. The artisans even spent two weeks in a non-Schengen country before being allowed into the U.S. to complete the installation. Today, the bar functions as the magnetic center of the home—a sculptural, backlit honeycomb that both celebrates the client’s collection and embodies the project’s deeper narrative.
Re-planning the Space – Master Suite, Office, and Flow
With the second unit in play, GoToPros rethought the entire plan:
- A new master suite was created upstairs, including:
- A large custom master closet
- A master bathroom designed to fit the new level of drama and calm
- A large custom master closet
- The office was moved to a room downstairs.
- A bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom on the first floor of the new unit were removed to make space for:
- The central bar is the main statement
- A family room at the far end, completing the sequence
- The central bar is the main statement
Spaces that were missing or limited in the first unit now had proper presence and scale, while the interiors remained restrained—mostly white and gray—so the furniture and key elements could read like art pieces in a gallery.
Design Language – White as a Canvas
From the very beginning, the client was clear:
He wanted a white, clean space.
Across both phases, the design language stayed consistent:
- White and gray are the primary tones
- Clean lines, minimal visual noise
- Neutral surfaces acting as a canvas
- Wood and leather furniture acts like a sculptural gallery piece
Phase 1 was a challenge but a success; Phase 2 was an intentional push “even further”:
- To make the interior an experience, not just an upgrade.
- To bend the status quo of what a condo bar and living space could look and feel like, while still being livable and calm.
Key Features & Craft
Several elements required special solutions and craftsmanship.
3D Stair Wall Panels
- The stair wall uses 3D wall panels that come in small 2' x 2' pieces.
- They had to be carefully assembled, aligned, and hand-patched at every joint.
- It was delicate, time-consuming work, but it turned a circulation wall into a sculptural feature.
The Glass Tub & Revised Bath Concept
Originally, Vyk planned a two- to four-person jacuzzi on a custom platform in the master area. The building, however, declined the request:
- They were concerned that other residents might want similar or larger jacuzzi installations in the future.
- The structure and precedent made it too risky from the building’s perspective.
Rather than abandoning the idea of a statement piece, the team pivoted:
- After research and review, they selected a design-award-winning tub, custom-made in Australia.
- It was flown to the U.S. and installed on the prepared platform, becoming both a functional element and a visual sculpture.
The Bar from Lithuania
As described above, the bar was:
- Designed by Vyk around the client’s bottle collection and the story concept.
- Built in Lithuania over six intense months of artisan work.
- Shipped and installed under complex COVID travel restrictions.
It has become the central magnet of the second unit—and one of the project’s defining features.
Technical & Logistical Challenges
This was not a simple swap of finishes; it required significant technical thinking.
- MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) modifications:
Building management required the team to work with the original building engineers and contractors, and to secure design approval for necessary changes. This meant:
- Navigating unusual MEP routes
- Coordinating approvals and redesigns
- Keeping everything code-compliant in a high-rise context
- Navigating unusual MEP routes
- Stretched canvas ceiling in the bar area:
To avoid dust contamination from drywall and paint on the finished bar and lighting:
- The bar and lighting were installed first,
- Then a stretched canvas ceiling was installed afterward, providing a clean, finished surface without the usual mess.
- The bar and lighting were installed first,
- Backlit ceilings: vision vs. reality:
Vyk originally wanted backlit ceilings in the master bathroom, closet, and bar.
- In Europe, this type of detail can be done more cost-effectively.
- In this building, the pricing came in unreasonably high, so the concept was adjusted to stay within practical bounds while still delivering a strong visual impact.
- In Europe, this type of detail can be done more cost-effectively.
All of this was further complicated by COVID and by setbacks with electrical and drywall contractors. The second phase took about 24 months, significantly longer than the first condo.
Role & Timeline
- Vyk served as head architect, designer, and general contractor for both phases.
- Phase 1 (first condo): ~8 months
- Phase 2 (second condo + combination): ~24 months, during COVID.
When the client approved the final design for the second phase, Vyk knew:
“If we can execute this, it will be something special.”
Outcome & Client Reaction
The project ultimately took longer and cost more than originally planned. At the end, Vyk asked the client directly:
“It took twice as long and was more expensive than we planned. Looking at it today—was it worth it?”
The client’s response:
- Everyone who comes into the space is wowed.
- He loves it and feels that GoToPros did a great job.
- He lets friends use the penthouse; he uses it himself—but it is one of several residences he owns.
For Vyk, this project is a source of great pride:
It was a big, challenging struggle that moved from paper into a magnificent space—
a white, peaceful, modern penthouse that feels like a living gallery, built out of two ordinary, builder-grade units.
Planning a Complex Penthouse or Condo Remodel?
If you’re considering transforming a condo or penthouse into something far beyond a standard renovation—and you need one team to handle both design and construction—we’d be honored to hear your story.