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55 BY REBECCA SHERMAN. INTERIOR DESIGN CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER FOR J. RANDALL POWERS INTERIOR DECORATION. PHOTOGRAPHY PÄR BENGTSSON. ART DIRECTION MICHELLE AVIÑA. A DESIGNER'S HIDEAWAY IN MUSEUM TOWER IS A REFUGE OF STRAIGHT LINES, SOOTHING TONES, AND JO MALONE CANDLES. B y the end of a long workday, interior designer Christopher Alexander is on sensory overload. "After looking at so many colors and fabrics and juggling different clients' personalities for eight hours, I need a way to calm the noise in my head," he says. "I literally could go home and sit in an apartment with nothing but white canvas and white walls, and be happy with nothing but a candle." Things haven't yet come to that, he says, but his Museum Tower apartment is both minimalist and awash in soothing tones — in other words, the perfect antidote to a stressful day. "I shut the door behind me, and I'm instantly refreshed," says Alexander, 37, a design partner at J. Randall Powers Interior Decoration. Located on the 17th floor, the apartment offers the kind of peace of mind that many Houstonians can relate to. "My partner, Brian Garrie, and I used to live in a townhouse near Memorial Park, and it flooded a couple of times," he says. "We wanted to get off the ground to feel safe." They toured apartments every Friday for three months before finding the perfect one, with tranquil views overlooking Hermann Park. "I feel like I'm on vacation every time I come home," he says. Alexander didn't want the interiors to compete with the greenery and sky outside — another reason to keep the palette neutral and the lines unobtrusive. CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER'S SOLACE IN THE SKY The living room overlooks Hermann Park and the Houston skyline. Mask from David Lackey Antiques & Art. Mohair George Cameron Nash sofa, Schumacher and Miles Redd pillows. The vase near the window is by Pablo Picasso from his 1953 pottery series, a gift from J. Randall Powers. (continued)