Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544027
Ginger Curtis has a deep affinity for the old world — the crown moldings, worn floors, and rooms that reveal themselves one at a time. transformed into low, graceful arches, consistent with others already in the house. Where original decorative wall molding existed, it was carefully preserved. In the new spaces, it was recreated to match so the additions would look like they'd always been there. A salvaged French limestone fireplace, with origins somewhere in the Italian countryside, was sourced by Curtis through an importer and installed in the den. Robertson had imagined the floors in light white oak, but Curtis had other ideas: She sent Robertson a photograph of a historic home with warm ebony-stained floors and made her case. "I felt like the house was longing for something rich and dark," Curtis says. Robertson loved the look and changed her mind just hours before the floor crew was due to arrive. In the primary suite, Curtis expanded the space to more than twice its original size, removed a closet, and built a sofa into the wall — a hotel-like sitting area Robertson wasn't sure would work. Now she can't imagine starting the day anywhere else, coffee in hand. G inger Curtis designs from the inside out. Her interiors are layered, organic, rooted in natural materials and old- world sensibility, and built around the belief that a well-designed home doesn't just look beautiful — it makes you feel better. To understand what drives that philosophy, it helps to know where she started. Curtis grew up in North Texas, one of seven children, in a life she describes as genuine poverty. Opposite, from left: Built-in seating nook in the main bedroom with custom sofa and chairs. Global Views coffee table in walnut and bone. Curtis added a graceful arched entry to the living room. Painting by Ruta Usaite, Saatchi Art. In the den, a new addition, the house's original decorative moldings were replicated. Sconces from Hudson Valley Lighting. Custom furnishings. Calacatta Viola shelf. (Continued)