Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/162519
sizzles in the company of refined Christian Liaigre sofas in simple ivory linen; pillows in gold silk velvet echo the shimmer of a Japanese Edo screen, circa 1845. "It has been my soul mate since 1979," Nash says of the screen. "I have sold it and bought it back three times." Every space is designed for both comfort and maximum visual impact. "I love to put together compositions," he says. "I love chairs thrown around in a room." The living area incorporates three. A Michael Taylor piece is "the best Louis XVI chair that has ever been. The proportion and quality are excellent, the silver leaf is perfection. It cannot be ignored." A glamorous leopard-print silk velvet beauty is "a one-off Yale Burge experiment" whose handpainted quill finish resembles nothing so much as glossy liquid caramel. And a one-of-a-kind Rose Tarlow chair combines the powerful scale of its Biedermeier forebears and a daredevil carved frame that begs for future museum acquisition. Nash relishes its bold presence, explaining, "I don't like dinky stuff. Dinky stuff is irrelevant." Although the space is ideal for entertaining, especially with the wraparound terrace, "we don't have a big social life. We have to borrow silver if we have more than 12 for dinner. We are two gentlemen who work 10 hours a day, come home, feed the dogs, go to dinner, walk the dogs, watch TV, and we're asleep by 10 o'clock." Those 10-hour days are nothing new. Nash was "the only boy in design class" at the University of Houston when he got "an accidental job" pulling fabric samples at a showroom in 1975. After working for several others over the next decade, he founded his eponymous showroom in 1987 with $5,000. "I had the good, the bad and the ugly to start with," he says, "but by editing for years and years, little by little, I attracted the best — many of the most important design originators in the industry. "One of my best friends in the industry, Holly Hunt, is often asked when she plans to leave her business or slow her pace. Her answer is 'when I get it right.' I don't think I've gotten it right yet," Nash says. "There is still plenty to do. But I love the avenue I'm on — the personal enjoyment of acquiring wisdom." The flow of the residence is impeccable. There are almost no interior doors, but each room is clearly defined in the clean lines of the architecture and the thoughtful composition of furnishings. OPENING PAGE: In the living room, mirror-backed shelves reflect a lifetime of thoughtful collecting. The center painting is Neither Here Nor There by David Della Venezia. Holly Hunt's scarlet table pops beside "the best Louis XVI chair ever," a Michael Taylor design in dark gray glove leather with a silverleaf frame. Gold silk velvet pillows are a luxe contrast to the simple linen of Christian Liaigre seating. The glass cylinder lamp is by John Saladino. Nash loves the "beautiful, sensual, hot-red-pepper lacquer" of the Holly Hunt table. Behind the sofa is his treasured Japanese Edo screen, circa 1845. THIS PAGE: Every angle reflects Nash's attention to composition. Beneath a colorful Cole Morgan painting, a neoclassical table and chair from Rose Tarlow balance the sleek lines of a Holly Hunt chaise with bronze legs. The bonsai is "my latest little venture into gardening," Nash says. Even the guest room gets a tree-house view and terrace access. The Holly Hunt four-poster bed wears custom linens from Doris Sanders, Dallas. The lamp is Karl Springer. Art by Li Wang is from Tao Water Gallery, Provincetown, MA. SEPTEMBER | PAGE 42 | 2013