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gilt bronze tables with malachite tops, semiprecious mineral objects, and rock- crystal lighting. He outfitted his private plane similarly, and custom cabinets were made to secure furniture and objects until after takeoff. Rare French antiques from Loyd-Paxton made their way into Versailles when it underwent renovations, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased pieces, including a dazzling Louis XIV Boulle desk, which had been owned by the Sun King himself. Prominent local families such as Juanita and Henry S. Miller Jr. and Fort Worth's Martha Hyder hired Loyd-Paxton to de- sign their homes. Architectural Digest often featured the couple's projects, which were famous for their glamorous interiors and dash of theater. Loyd-Paxton created total environments that were much more than mere rooms. "So many decorators just do curtains and carpet and furnishings," says Taylor. "We created a cocoon — or a piece of art." Clients demanded excitement, and they obliged with spaces layered in mirrors and lacquer, and large, statement-making furniture and art. "Paxton and I always created illusions," he says. Once, when they couldn't find the perfect reflective paint for a client's penthouse walls, the job was done with 50-gallon containers of pearlescent nail polish from Revlon. Interior design wasn't just about making something beautiful, it was a chance to escape into another world. In 1972, they sheathed their own apart- ment in the Athena high-rise in black piano lacquer, black marble, stainless steel, and mirrors. "It was a total fantasy," Taylor says. "I was a dreamer, and so was Paxton." 70