When Ric Kern accepted the job of vice president of sales and channel marketing for Goody Products three years ago, he was excited about everything the position offered except his daily commute. It was then that he and his wife, Jamie, who loved their home at Polo Fields in Cumming, decided to move closer to the city, but they were only willing to make the move provided they found the perfect house.

As fate would have it, the couple found a six-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style house in Sandy Springs with elements that made it a perfect fit: It was old and unique with plenty of potential. Jamie, an interior designer and president of Design Theory Interiors, always had dreamed of owning an old home. “We knew that we could make this house our own, and that we could make it spectacular,” she says.

Ric and Jamie, who have been married for nearly 25 years, love to travel and collect antiques. Through these interests, the couple has found a way to add personal touches to their home. For example, they designed their back porch, which overlooks the pool, in a color palette of stark white and deep blue to remind them of a trip they once took to Greece. Their dining room, which Ric says is influenced by a former escape to Italy, features a Renaissance-era dining table and chairs. “I am a history buff and love things that tell stories,” he says. “The seats of the chairs are made from horsehair, and the [set] still has a family crest on it. So you don’t always know the story, but you know there is a history there. I think that is why we collect antiques.” The couple’s dining room also features another of the their favorite things about the house: distinctive wide-plank pine flooring that a previous owner installed from a plantation in South Georgia. Jamie put the finishing touches on the room with some canvas prints by Fernando Botero.

Although the Kerns absolutely loved certain aspects about their house, they also were aware of things that needed immediate attention. Some of the first eyesores they tackled included a yellow and green color scheme, which they painted over, and brown shag carpet on the lower level of the home, which they replaced with Mexican Saltillo tile. They also updated lighting fixtures, renovated all five bathrooms and restored fireplaces throughout the home. The best day for Ric was when they tore out the fruit-themed backsplash in the kitchen in favor of a more modern/retro look.

For Jamie, the most important part about designing is to introduce contrast at every turn. “The fireplace mantel [in the living room] is a classical, beautiful piece of architectural woodwork,” she says. “However, it doesn’t stand out in a room where everything else is classical. When you start putting it with these Barcelona-style chairs and a lamp from the ’60s, then they start to play off of each other rather than blend together. Everything should stand out yet still somehow work together.”

Jamie expanded this philosophy into every room of the home so that each has a different sense of purpose and feel to it. So, in addition to the Greek-inspired porch and Italian-inspired dining room, the Kerns also have what they call an “art deco room,” which features 1940s-era design, as well as a “Boston room” and a “mid-century room.” “If they all felt the same, I’m not sure we would feel inspired to spend time in a particular room,” Ric says.

Regardless of how you go about designing your home, Jamie stresses you always should make it personal. “Find things that are important to you, and build upon them,” she says. “Have the courage to defy the rules a little bit. This is your home; it can be whatever you want it to be.”