October/November 2026 | maconmagazine.com 81
STORY BY SARAH LEONARDO, ROOT BOUND MEDIA | PHOTOS BY CEDRIC SMITH
F
rom the front double entry doors, a wide
Center Hall leads directly through the
heart of Michelle and Ethiel Garlington's
1858 Folk Victorian home.
The property's architectural features – 12-foot-6-
inch ceilings, wood wainscot details, original heart
pine hardwood flooring, transom doors, and elegant
fireplace mantels in nearly every room – quietly
draw the present into the past. Michelle, a licensed
interior designer with a master's degree in historic
preservation, is not the type to take this for granted.
In 2014 Ethiel was offered the role of executive
director for the Historic Macon Foundation.
An exhibition of generational prized possessions,
a bike lane for scooters and Big Wheels, a backdrop for
a family's evolution…
T H E C E N T E R H A L L :
S L O W D E S I G N I N
T H E G A R L I N G T O N S '
V I C T O R I A N H O M E
Although Michelle's interior design career was
gaining momentum in Knoxville, one weekend
exploring Macon was all it took to convince the
Garlingtons to relocate. The couple felt energized
by the historic architecture and revitalization efforts
taking shape in Downtown Macon. Inspired to
participate in the action, they sought out an InTown
neighborhood home and settled into a charming
Tudor duplex.
However, the Garlingtons quickly outgrew their
upstairs apartment when their first child was born
the following August. While washing dishes at the
kitchen sink, Michelle found herself studying the
