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house, ceilings and walls are paneled in straightforward materials typically reserved for the exterior, such as zinc, cedar, and painted boards. They feel unexpectedly lush when used inside, he says, and subtly reinforce a connection with the outdoors. Much like Tibbs' architecture, the interior furnishings and art are highly personal. He designed a large blue velvet sofa for the living room because it reminds him of his roots. "There was a blue velvet sofa in my childhood home, so it's a touchstone for me," he says. His collection of portrait paintings includes a half-dozen works by Biloxi, Mississippi, artist Miles Cleveland Goodwin, who often sets his subjects in rural Southern landscapes. "They are not sentimental — there's a real strength to them," Tibbs says. He's also drawn to furnishings that have strength of character, no matter the century or design style. In the den, a worn-leather chair from 19th-century England and a carved cabinet of the same era are paired with such modern pieces as a 1950s George Nelson tray table and a rare bronze bird-leg table designed in the 1930s by Surrealist 50