Weekend 1st Dibs Picks

Did a little shopping over the weekend, so I thought I would show you my finds.

Pen and Ink Drawing of Madonna and Child $3175



Swedish Commode $12,500




French Gilt 1940's Sunburst Mirror $1800

Set of Twelve Antique Vellum Books $8900

Early 19th c. French Duchesse Brisee $18,900

Set of Six Architectural Landscapes $650 each

French gilt iron Nesting Tables $2900

French Louis XVI barometer $2600

Curved Swedish Bench with Carved Detail $7580

c. 1890 Set of Six Restored French Os de Mouton Side Chairs $6980

c. 1780 Pair Italian Gilt Wood Sconces $9800

Rare Collection of Framed Intaglio Seals $1320 each

19thc. Dutch Canal Scene $12,900

19thc. Nautical Scene Along a Mountainous Coast $895

19thc. Louis Phillipe Mirror $2900

18-19th c. Delft Urn $4250



Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

The Classic Style of Joy McLean

As you know, I am in Atlanta fairly frequently since it is the nearest design hub for me. I do at least a couple of buying trips a year, as well as the yearly design show at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. And when I can, I like to tour the Decorator's Showhouse in Atlanta. Regional showhouses feature many of the same area designers almost every year, so we all usually have one or two favorites that we look forward to each year. Joy McLean is one of the designers that I always look forward to. Her style is very classic and clean.

Her use of antiques and beautiful reproductions is something that draws me to her work.

I like the way she keeps her signature look evident here in this sunroom. It still has that edited, traditional feel, but comfortable and casual as well.

A beautiful vignette in an entryway. The mirror reflects a clean-lined window treatment and gorgeous crystal chandelier.

This looks like a keeping room. Elements I love here are the lantern, comfy chairs, and the curved banquette.

Joy McLean uses beautiful blues a lot in her work. Very serene.

Here again she anchors the room with classic furniture and adds tailored window treatments in pretty fabrics.

A warm and inviting library.

Another soft and pretty bedroom.

I hope you have enjoyed this quick little tour of some of Joy's work. Her rooms are even prettier in person. Classic furniture and soft, livable colors always endure.

Featured Local Artisan: Regann Hunt

Artists in your own backyard are the most special.

I often discuss design topics that feature big-name design talents of national stature, but today I would like to begin a series of posts that showcase the artistry of some of the talented people here in my own area: people I work with every day who make huge contributions to the local design community in Knoxville.

The featured artist is Regann Hunt of Art Elegance, http://www.artelegance.net/. Regann is skilled at faux finishes, textures, venetian plaster, etc. But what sets her apart is her artistic skill. Her murals and paintings cannot fully be appreciated on a computer screen, but I can attest they are fabulous.

This is a painting I commissioned for a media room in a showhouse a few years ago. I came up with the idea to do paintings reminiscent of old movie posters. The results were amazing and the homeowners were blown away.


This is the other painting for the media room project. It is a take-off on the "Ben-Hur" type movie. Notice how Regann used mine and her name in the credits, as well as the homeowners names in the starring roles in the painting above.

English Countryside Mural

Beach mural for a tanning salon.

Ocean mural.

This close-up of the dolphin from the ocean mural illustrates Regann's artistic talent. It is photographic in detail.

Sweet mural in a child's room.

A beautiful Grecian lady painting. I love the framing and sconces.

A detailed jungle scene.

A wonderful tone-on-tone mural of a train.



I am always amazed at the details in Regann's animal paintings. This mural was done for a bar.

Another shot of the mural Regann did for a bar in East Tennessee.

An adorable toile design for a girl's room.

A close-up of the adorable rendition of a nursery rhyme my Dad recited to me when I was a baby. (See my post on this nursery in my archives.)

A wide shot of the hand-painted cribs for our showhouse nursery.

The lovely Ms. Regann herself, striking a pose in front of one of her murals.

I hope you have enjoyed my little piece on Regann Hunt, of Art Elegance here in Knoxville. Regann is extremely talented, but she is a wonderful person as well. She can turn any idea into art and she travels and ships her work as well! A wonderful resource for me and maybe for you as well.

(All images copyright of Regann Hunt and Art Elegance.)

What Makes a Room Timeless?

Elsie de Wolfe's Villa Trianon



A little trip back in time

What realy makes a room timeless? A better question could be ; how do we avoid those awful mistakes that make us look back twenty years later and think "What were we thinking?"!

This is the million dollar question in the design world; how can we create rooms that trenscend time and trends and remain beautiful and easy to live in year after year?

To delve into this question, I decided to dig out some of my prized back-issues of Southern Accents magazine, my decorating bible, and look back on years past and see how designs from back in the day fare in the daylight of today. (Disclaimer: I started my business in 1993 and my early work wouldn't survive this type of scrutiny!)

Southern Accents 1987

This dining room has survived fairly well. A little stiff, but Zuber wallpaper and classic furniture never really go out of vogue. If I came in today to update this room, the wallpaper would stay, but I would change out the chandelier to one less "period" looking, get rid of the patterned rug and replace with a lightly stencilled jute or seagrass one, and get of the chairs that are also too period design looking and get some with either a painted finish or slipcover them.

Oh lordie, well this kitchen, not so much. The description of the room talks about the oak wood and VINYL floorcovering!! The oak cabinets and countertops, the matching oak table, and dated appliances definitely say "1987". I have decided, and this is just my humble opinion, that perhaps kitchens may not be capable of being "timeless". Refrigerators are not like French fauteuils. They change yearly, therefore we must face the fact that kitchens must be updated at least every ten to fifteen years. (I think I will save this picture to show clients why everything matching is just WRONG.)

Southern Accents 1989

This is a beautiful parlor in an historic home in the Garden District of New Orleans. This room would be as perfect and beautiful today as it was in 1989. Beautifully proportioned ceilings, elegant mouldings, a non-trendy paint color, and classic furnishings mixed with contemporary art. This could have been a dull "period" room, but with all these ingredients the look would still be current.

Ah yes, we remember burgundy and mauve. Perched on what looks like a sculptured carpet area rug with a cutting-edge ceiling fan above. I doubt this room still exists.

Southern Accents 1992

A room that still looks good. Just get rid of the overblown baby's breath floral arrangement, lighten up the room with less dark wood furniture and patterned rug.

Sometimes the ads are the best indicators of where our heads were at the time. This wallpaper ad shows the riot of patterns that became the rage; borders, florals, stripes, and coordinating fabric. Wallpaper overdose. Which is why the very word now strikes terror in so many hearts today.

I guess if we can learn anything from this exercise, it is that classics endure and can be freshened as time goes by. Jumping on trends with too much fervor usually spells trouble and costs lots of money to undo.