Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/820206
T here are designers who promise a 30-, 60-, or 90-day turnkey project. This is not in Margaret Naeve Parker's lexicon; she might spend years with clients to achieve the kind of layering that makes a home authentic. Case in point: a French-style, new-construction house in Afton Oaks for attorney Brett Braden, his wife Lisa, and their four children, which Parker has worked on for eight years. "A house has a better feeling if it's done over a period of time, with the designer and clients working together," Parker points out. "It's okay to take your time." A slow design approach is not for everyone, but it has its fans. "I have another project I've been working on for 10 years," adds Parker, who opened her Westheimer antiques store, M Naeve, in 2006. Just 27 at the time, Parker had little interior design experience, but the Bradens loved the exquisite, poetic vignettes she created for the store with Belgian, French, and Scandinavian furnishings. "This couple was job number two for me. The amazing thing is that my design career has grown with them." F irst things first. The house's g o o d b o n e s — c l e a n architectural lines and a stunning slate roof — laid an exquisite foundation. "It was a great house that just needed a little work," says Parker, who installed antique iron lanterns in front and removed the first-level shutters, which distracted from its simplicity. The porch was enclosed to make a sunroom for the kids, and antique architectural elements, such as a large limestone mantel, were added. An odd niche in the dining room was transformed into a bar with the addition of green-painted antique French doors. The existing oak floors were already in great shape, and Parker painted the walls throughout the same custom off- white paint from Benjamin Moore. "They wanted a softer palette, and it's something I'm known for," she says. "I'm a big fan of painting a house one cohesive color, even if it's 10,000 square feet. It tells a much better story than doing one room pink, the other green, etc." When the Bradens moved from their former home in West U, they left their furniture behind and started over. "Every year, we did something to the house," Parker says. "It still feels fresh, even though we started eight years ago. If you buy timeless things, it's always going to read that way." The biggest challenge was how to create a beautiful home filled with pale antiques with four children in residence. "They are a rare client who said 'okay' to antiques and a light palette," Parker says. "They wanted their kids to grow up appreciating art and beauty." Of course, Parker used child-friendly furniture where possible, such as rustic wooden tables and slipcovered Christian Liaigre chairs and sofas. But there's not a single yard of outdoor fabric — a default 57 Table is 19th century from Area. Swedish chairs, also 19th century, are in vintage linen from M Naeve. Custom silk rug from Carol Piper Rugs. An 18th-century French marble-top console from W. Gardner, Ltd. On console, Joe Davidson's Emaciated Landscape, 2005, made from layers of Scotch tape. DESIGNER MARGARET NAEVE PARKER MAY SPEND YEARS PERFECTING A DESIGN PROJECT — TO EXQUISITE EFFECT. MAX BURKHALTER B Y R E B E C C A S H E R M A N . I N T E R I O R D E S I G N M A R G A R E T N A E V E PA R K E R . P H OTO G R A P H Y P Ä R B E N GT S S O N F O R I N D E P E N D E N T A R T I S T S A G E N C Y. A R T D I R E C T I O N M I C H E L L E AV I Ñ A . F LO W E R S B Y M AT T J O H N S.