Designed With Meaning
When we were shooting interior designer Missy Luczak's Plaza Midwood bungalow, I asked her what style clients most often request for their homes. She laughed. Some people, she said, ask her to simply design a room with what she thinks would look best. "We trust you," they tell her. This she finds amusing. "I think someone's home should be a reflection of their personality, not their designer's," she says. "It should be filled with objects and collections that mean something to them, not just what their designer feels looks good for the moment."
That became even more relevant as I looked through this fall’s issue. The three homes in this magazine are ones that were designed not just with care, but with meaning. Cliché? Maybe. Thoughtful? Yes.
Nearly every room in Luczak’s home boasts an incredible array of antique furniture, books, and artwork either passed down from her parents, offered as gifts from friends, or purchased by Luczak because she felt a connection with it. Architect Emily Bourgeois’s Eastover home is decorated with French, English, and American antiques she’s collected over the years, not to mention a collection of gorgeous lamps outfitted with silk shades and the like, created by her good friend Neal Johnson. Even a tiny toy wheelbarrow in her study, etched with the letters "E. B.," shows the thoughtfulness with which Bourgeois chose each piece, no matter how big or small.
Finally, Lindsay Stroker’s charming SouthPark Colonial speaks (loudly) to design with meaning. Throughout Stroker’s home you can find, tucked away on ledges and nooks, antiques she and her parents collected over the years. Some are more than 300 years old, while others date to the turn of the twentieth century. Each piece has a story.
Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find a barbecue infused with the flavors of fall. Baked squash, candied pears, pork barbecue, pecan pie, sweet potato cake, and, my favorite, butternut squash pizza, all of which offer a taste of autumn (plus, the dishes are easy to make). And when you’re finished eating, work it all off by shopping South End. This booming neighborhood is home to furniture and accessory storefronts and showrooms that rival those in High Point and Hickory. I swear. So save some gas — stay local.
