Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1535714
her showroom for years. Before they ever bought the house, she had enlisted Showers to redesign Kevin's new office suite in Highland Park. When they came across the property in 2022, it was only natural to bring her in again — this time, to design the interiors of their future home. By then, much of the architectural work had already been done. In the early '90s, well-known Mississippi architect Lewis Graeber III had added a new primary suite and reimagined the original master as a library, keeping the pecky cypress paneling and fireplace intact. A later owner refreshed the kitchen and hardware, subtle updates that kept the house current. Most recently, landscape architect Harold Leidner was brought in to overhaul the grounds, planting full-grown oaks and establishing a lush, verdant border. "One of my favorite things about the house," Carla says, "is that it looks small and unassuming from the outside, but once you walk in, it takes your breath away. The architecture and all the windows create this incredible indoor-outdoor connection." Most of their changes were cosmetic — paint, wallpaper, and lighting. Showers had the living-room walls and ceiling lacquered in a deep parrot green that bathes the space in a radiant glow. "Green is my favorite color, but every home I've lived in had white walls," Carla says. "When Jan proposed this dark green, I wasn't sure about it. But I decided that if I were working with Jan, I would need to trust her because I love her work. And once the drapes went up and the furniture came in, the walls made everything look even more amazing." The double-height great room is swathed in Farrow & Ball Oval Room blue, a nod to Kevin's preference for the color that has become his signature look. He dresses in blue head to toe, Carla says, "from his glasses to his Hadleigh slippers," which he even wears in the operating room. In the entry, hand- painted de Gournay wallpaper features birds and flowers on a gold background — a pattern Carla had long admired on the walls of Showers' showroom. Above: In the library, Jules Leleu chairs from Jan Showers. French '40s table from Window Shop, Houston. Murano lamp from homeowner's collection. The original pecky cypress paneling in the library was designed by John Astin Perkins. Jules Leleu chair and ottoman from Jan Showers. Temple Studio carpet. Opposite page: In the entry, a 1950s Venini chandelier from Jan Showers. In background, the family room is painted Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue. Murano 1970s chandelier from John Gregory Studio. Wall sconces from Jan Showers Collection. Art Nouveau side table and 1940s chairs from Paris. The interiors are a mix of pieces the designer selected, layered with furni shings Carla had previously collected — some from 1stdibs, Etsy, and estate sales, others from Showers' showroom, known for its antiques sourced on buying trips to Paris. One standout is a spectacular French '40s dining table with brass pomegranate corner details, which Carla discovered in Atlanta. "What I love about French dining tables from the '40s