Home Style Issue - Matthew Allen, Midtown

A Midtown house proves a lesson in organized clutter with a killer collection of tchotchkes

More photos from Matthew’s space

Age: 28
?Job: Designer at Coca-Cola
?Rent or own? Rent

?Price: Less than $1,600
How many creatures live here?
?Two cats, Sgt. Pepper and Chloe, and two other roommates, Jess Cole and Lana Jones.

Where did you find the pieces for this room?
?Mostly everything is antique or from a thrift store besides a few investment pieces. My favorite stores are Highland Row and Antique Factory in Chamblee.

What’s your favorite design element in this room?
?The scientific cabinet from Antique Factory run by Peter Pero in Chamblee. The place has cool stuff, not just dusty doilies. The cabinet’s filled with my favorite things, like the creepy doll head I got in London. Mostly everything in it is used and really inexpensive.

What’s your decorating philosophy?
?I like things that tell stories — old wood, things that are scratched, yellowed paper, clocks that don’t work. I buy used books, like turn-of-the-century World Books, and wonder who’s read them before me.

If your room had a theme song, what would it be?
?The “Three’s Company” theme song.

What’s your favorite thing about Atlanta?
?I love Atlanta. I love the weird parts of Atlanta like all the stuff you see driving down Ponce de Leon Avenue. The Midtown holiday house that overly decorates every holiday. Baton Bob. Scary Murder Kroger with its sad produce. Across from the house is Piedmont Park and I love all the interesting characters you see there, like the six pit bulls in matching hoodies.

Anything else?
?We operate on a party schedule.