{ French Connection }
At first glance, you might think Jan Showers simply pulled all of these glamorous pieces from her showroom on Slocum Street. Not at all. In fact, Showers’ concept for the shoot, a French designer’s salon in Paris, was inspired by a 1960s tufted sofa from East & Orient Company. “I loved that sofa immediately. It was like all the sofas I remember from Vogue during the ’60s when they photographed people like Nan Kempner and Babe Paley at home,” says Showers, whose signature design look is influenced by the ultra-chic French moderne movement from the ’40s and ’50s. Paler, mid-century modern furnishings, including French moderne, are becoming more popular in Dallas, as the lower scale of mid-century furnishings works beautifully with period antiques, which are often smaller. And in the case of the French pieces, the shapely lines echo those of the older period antiques. Here, a pair of 19th century bergères from The Mews, left in their simple muslin upholstery, is ideal when placed next to the low sofa. “I love a mixed-up look,” Showers says. “Otherwise, it’s boring.”
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| Jan Showers is wearing a black-and-white tunic and pants by French designer Chanel, naturellement. A pair of glass table lamps from The Gathering Galleries and two Louis XVI-style bergères from the Mews are set on either side of a 1960s tufted sofa from East & Orient Company. 1870s ebonized side table from Orion Antiques; side table, bar cart, and mirror from Debris Antiques; silverplate and Lucite coffee table, custom lampshades, and pillows from Jan Showers & Associates; white cowhides from Jan Showers Collection. |
{ Elementary, My Dear Watson }
If Joseph Minton hadn’t sat next to Rose Driver on a plane back from England in 1957, he might still be practicing law instead of pursuing his passion for English antiques. At the time, Driver was one of Dallas’ top antiques dealers, and Minton had been living in England for a year after finishing law school. “We talked incessantly on the plane back home,” Minton remembers. “She gave me all these sources in England of places to buy antiques and told me to start buying. So I did. I already had an interest, but she was the one who gave me a big push.” Minton practiced law afterward, but eventually left to become an interior designer and open his own store. Nothing is more evocative of English decorating than a man’s library, and here Minton has taken the opportunity to show off his theatrical side, with a tongue-in-cheek homage to Sherlock Holmes. “Sherlock Holmes’ library was his sanctuary,” Minton says. “And that street scene outside the window—it seems like I’ve walked it many times in London.”
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| Brass chandelier from Milton Kent Antiques; Bennison fabric draperies, early 19th century English rosewood desk, Staffordshire dogs, and late 18th century English bookcase, red felt English hall chair, all from Joseph Minton Antiques; English rug from Tajzoy Oriental Rugs; oil portrait, knife boxes in the shape of urns on mantel, Adams-style pedestal, and gilt mahogany mantel, all from East & Orient Company; red leather, English art deco chair, and table in window, from Nick Brock Antiques; English hunting cap, collection of Betty Gertz; Joe Minton, 2nd quarter 20th century, American. He sports a cashmere Kiton English-style checked sport coat. |
{ Orient Express }
When photo stylist Cliff Ellman asked Myrl Talkington what background walls she wanted for her set, she only had one request: a bucket of red paint. No really, he insisted, what kind of walls will you be using? “I’ll bring my own walls, you show up with the paint,” Talkington jokingly retorted. There would be no walls. “The Asians used panels for walls, and they often layered them, like I’ve done here,” she explains. “I try to use screens in every job I do. It’s the one thing that takes the room to the max and gives it drama.” Even so, Talkington often has a hard time convincing clients to use them. “If I show them one, they’ll usually say no. But if I sneak them into the room, they love what they do to the space.” Talkington suggests trying screens at home to break up Texas-sized rooms without sacrificing openness. When it comes to interior design, the Asians didn’t box themselves in: Talkington uses a pair of large ancestor portraits the way they were originally meant to be used—as space dividers.
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Talkington wears a navy silk Armani suit with sterling silver buttons, courtesy of Stanley Korshak. Red paper hanging lanterns, circa 1920, from Oriental Treasures; black lacquer chair from City View Antique Mall; one of a pair of large, antique pagodas with gold leaf, ivory, jade, lapis, and other semiprecious stones, from The Famous; pair of ancestor portraits from Allan Knight and Associates; pair of 17th century, carved black lacquer screens from Oriental Treasures (foreground); pair of 18th century carved and gold leaf detail screens from Debris Antiques (middle ground); bamboo plant stand from Talkington’s personal collection. |
