Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1501754
O livia Persia loves old houses. "I can't see myself living in something new," says the 34-year-old interior designer, who moved into t h e 1 9 3 9 re s i d e n c e i n Houston's Southampton neighborhood five years ago with her husband, an oil and gas executive. It's a full house now, with two preschool-age daughters, along with two dogs and two cats — all rescues. Persia designs interiors for clients that range from super modern to traditional, but her personal style has roots in '80s and '90s Italy, which she mixes with traditional elements that feel more European than American. "It creates this weird and unique look you don't see everywhere," she says. Persia, who grew up in Mississippi and still has a soft drawl, credits her father, Mark Frascogna, for influencing her taste. In the 1980s, he owned Ecco, a furniture store in Jackson that carried progressive Italian designers such as Massimo Iosa Ghini, who p i o n e e re d t h e B o l i d i s t m o v e m e n t , a n d E t t o re Sottsass, founder of the Memphis Group. "That definitely inspired my taste and the direction I've taken my house," she says. The biggest challenge was working with small rooms that were unusually configured. "I love to entertain, and the living room is really long and narrow, so I used every corner for seating. It's an unconventional way to get as many people to hang out in the space as possible." To finish multiple seating areas with a bit of polish, Persia brought in a handful of standout furnishings, including a 1970s modular white leather sofa designed by Ubald Klug for De Olivia Persia's Interior designer house in Southampton packs wow with rare and refined modern Italian furniture and contemporary art. 38