Porches in Oakhurst and Winnona Park, brick along the MAK blocks, and storefronts around the courthouse square
Decatur is a small city people walk. The courthouse square, the MAK blocks, the streets of Oakhurst and Winnona Park: most of it is close enough that neighbors see each other's houses from the sidewalk rather than from a car. That favors displays built at eye level, with porch greenery, careful rooflines, and nothing that looks improvised up close. Our installers have worked Atlanta rooflines since 2018. Text a photo of the house for a free written quote.
Decatur was chartered in 1823, older than Atlanta itself, and the historic courthouse still anchors the square at its center. The residential streets around it filled in mainly during the first decades of the twentieth century, which is why so much of the housing is Craftsman: bungalows with deep porches and low gables in Oakhurst and Winnona Park, and somewhat larger houses on the MAK streets, named for McDonough, Adams, and Kings Highway, which became the city's first local historic district. The MAK blocks sit just west of Agnes Scott College, and the Atlanta architect Leila Ross Wilburn designed many of the houses there, which went up between 1907 and the late 1930s.
The last twenty years have added a second layer. On many Decatur streets, an original bungalow now stands between two newer houses, often taller, often painted white or gray with dark trim and a metal accent roof over the porch. Designing a display for one of those streets means thinking about the whole block, because the new house and the old house are seen together. A tall infill house with crisp white siding can carry a cool-white or bright-white line well. The 1920s bungalow next to it almost always looks better in warm white. Both can look right on the same block if the bulb size and spacing are kept consistent.
Because Decatur is seen on foot, workmanship shows. People walk past at a slow pace and a few feet away. A strand that ends a foot short of the corner, a zip tie on a porch column, or a visible extension cord across the steps is noticed. We measure each run, cut every strand to length, and route connections behind columns and downspouts. Our residential design service starts with that kind of measured plan.
In December the square becomes a destination. The city lights its tree on the courthouse lawn early in the month, and walk-through decorations go up on the square and in Oakhurst. The shops and restaurants around the square and along the side streets get busy, which is where our storefront and restaurant lighting comes in.
Porch rails, columns, doors, and front windows get attention first, because that is what the sidewalk sees.
Warm white on older brick and stained wood, cool or bright white only where a newer white house suits it.
Strands cut to length and connections hidden, because Decatur displays are seen from a few feet away.
Clips and tension wraps on trim, gutters, and columns. No staples or screws in original woodwork.
These are neighborhoods of bungalows and cottages on modest lots. The porch is wide and low, and it is where the house meets the street. A continuous warm-white line under the porch eave, garland on the rail and posts, and a wreath at the door usually carry the whole design. The upper roof can stay dark without the house looking unfinished.
McDonough, Adams, and Kings Highway have somewhat bigger, older houses, some with full second stories and taller gables. These can take a C9 roofline on the main eave and gables, plus porch work below. Warm white keeps them in character with the district.
White siding, dark windows, metal porch roofs, and steep front gables are common on Decatur's newer houses. They suit a crisp, continuous roofline with even spacing, and the metal porch roof can take a clean line along its edge. We match bulb size to the neighbors when a block wants a consistent look.
The blocks around the square hold restaurants, bars, and small shops in older brick and newer mixed-use buildings. Warm-white lines on awnings and cornices, patio string lights, and garland at the door give a unified look. Installs happen outside business hours and nothing crosses the sidewalk.
The timer is set at install. If a strand goes out, text a photo to (470) 380-7797 and it goes on the next route. In January, everything comes down and is coiled and labeled; our takedown and storage service keeps it until fall. We also work in Druid Hills and Inman Park.
Decatur's older streets are shaded by large oaks, often planted close to the sidewalk, with dogwoods and crape myrtles in the small front yards between them. Those trees are a resource. A big trunk wrapped to its first limb puts light at the property line, where people walking by actually see it, and a smaller ornamental tree lit with warm-white mini lights adds a soft middle layer between the sidewalk and the porch. We count and measure each tree for the quote, wrap loosely enough to protect the bark, and take everything off in January. On a shallow lot, one well-lit tree can do more than a second roofline.
Mixed blocks, porch detail, and the busy weeks around the square.
Light it at its own scale. A warm-white line under the porch eave, garland on the columns, and a wreath at the door give a bungalow presence without competing with taller neighbors. Adding a lit tree in the front yard can also give it height.
Yes. Cool or bright white can look sharp on white siding and dark trim. Our journal post on warm white vs. cool white explains when each works.
Yes. Commercial installs are scheduled before opening or after close, and timers are set to your hours. Booking early matters, since the weeks before the tree lighting are the busiest. See our storefront page for details.
The MAK district is locally protected, so we are careful with original trim and masonry. Holiday lights are temporary and attached only with clips and wraps, and everything comes down in January.
Yes. Trunk wraps from the ground to the first limb, and lighter work on dogwoods or crape myrtles, are common here. Our trees and landscape service quotes each tree separately.
Text a photo of the house or storefront and the address to (470) 380-7797. We will send a written, itemized quote that lists every run, bulb type, and piece of greenery.
Text us a photo
Scan with your phone's camera to start a text to (470) 380-7797. Attach a picture of the front of the house.
