Brent and Tasha Moody moved to the Johns Creek area one year ago along with their two children, an English Shepherd puppy and a bearded dragon. A seasoned interior designer and owner of Iris & Oak Interiors, Tasha saw beauty and opportunity in the 1981 home they purchased. One year later she can look back and say that all of the work they put in was truly worth it. We caught up with the busy designer and asked her to share her story.
The pandemic affected everyone in different ways. For my family of four, it meant finally acting on a move we had talked about for years.
When we lived in Brookhaven, we were happy with our proximity to work, but knew we ultimately wanted to push a little further out to larger lots and quieter streets, which would provide room for our two growing children to get out in nature and roam a bit more freely.
After overseeing digital learning for the better part of a year while trying to run my home staging and interior design business, we knew it was as good a time as any to take the plunge. Not only were the children as disconnected from their friends as they would ever be, but getting them back to in-person learning was a priority. Unsure of where we would go, we started looking at homes in all of the pockets of town from Milton to Dunwoody, Roswell, and Johns Creek. After learning more about the Peachtree Corners/Johns Creek area and seeing the beauty of the river that winds through, the excellent options of schools and tight-knit community, somehow it just felt right for us.
With the timing and location decided, the next hurdle was finding a house during a market of absolute frenzy and seriously low inventory. We went ahead and sold our Brookhaven home and moved into a rental in the school district where we wanted to land so we could be patient, knowing it might take a while to find “the one.” During that time my husband and I talked in detail about what exactly it was that we were looking for. Through these talks, it was clear that a larger lot with a charming home was far more important to us than a large home on a smaller lot. We wanted a place where the kids would enjoy spending time as they transitioned into middle and high school, and friends and family would want to come and stay on the weekends. Having outdoor spaces where the kids have options to play when I said the inevitable “y’all get outside and play” was at the top of my list.
After walking through quite a few houses, the charm of our 1981 cape code home on over an acre of land had us sold from the moment we walked in the door. There were many quirks and several negatives (no basement, a detached garage and only 3 bedrooms, to name a few), but the general layout of rooms filled with natural light, walkout backyard and quiet street were enough to warrant the work we would need to do.
Upon studying the plans I realized the front of the house almost beckoned for an extension to the left, where we could easily add an attached garage and fourth bedroom over the top. We could then use the detached garage as our “basement” and enclose all of it as one house by adding a long mud hall to unify the home. With the help of a great architect, the final plans created a layout that seemed like it was planned from the start.
Iris & Oak founder Tasha Moody created the business with a focus on combining proven design techniques with streamlined processes to ensure each home is designed both smartly and effectively. With a strong focus on people before profit, her belief that design should be fun and relationships matter most has guided her way to creating one of Atlanta's most thriving home staging and interior design firms.
