A Beautiful Home Perfect For Entertaining
See how just three paint colors can be used throughout today's home with beautiful results. The gorgeous home of interior designer Suzanne Varner is also perfect for entertaining. Read why!
One home. Innumerable joys. This is a residence that welcomes celebrations of all sorts, a place where life is being lived to the fullest! When interior designer Suzanne Varner and her husband, Jim, moved into this Georgian-style home in Memphis they had a plan to make it a narrative of their shared interests, one of which is entertaining.
One Home.
The home’s engaging interior achieves comfortable elegance through continuity and well-founded choices. There is a neutral palette of only three paint colors throughout, and subtle novelty is expressed in the combination of antique and modern furnishings, customized details and collectibles. Suzanne’s signature style is a seamless blending of modern with old or interesting found objects. An antique bust, the tapestry that inspired all interior colors and two urns flanking their front door were all found and purchased in New Orleans. She is also particularly fond of grand-sized decorative antiques and large-scale works of art. For example, the antique map in their foyer is a piece that extends from floor to ceiling.
While only three paint colors were used in the entire home, the paint seems to change in every room depending on the light and the time of day. Multiple large windows introduce an abundance of natural light, and a tranquil outdoor view through French doors lining the back of the house is a setting profuse with seasonal color.
Symmetry and simplicity contribute to a well-planned interior, as seen in vignettes throughout the home.
When Suzanne and Jim moved in, they had a few renovations in mind, and Charles Shipp has been the architect in charge of changes made over the past year. Chip Tayloe is their contractor, and two talented ladies, Geri Pitts and Harriet McGeorge, assisted with the landscaping, a current project that is still evolving. Harriet, a landscape architect, created a plan, and Geri is helping Suzanne and Jim implement this plan.
The landscaping is streamlined and, like the interior, incorporates minimal color and relies on texture for a dramatically clean arrangement. Suzanne does enjoy a thriving cutting garden, however, and most of the flowers on display are the result of her newly found love for gardening. Geri and her assistant, Al, helped her establish this area, and together they relocated two rose bushes that were original to the house from the back yard to this garden.
On the back porch, a round table made by Christie Cut Stone is a central feature. When guests come over, this table can be strictly decorative in its prominent position, or it can function as a place to serve hors d’oeuvres. It is also an ideal spot for as many as six to dine.
Innummerable Joys.
This home, built in 1965, has seen several generations and welcomed many gatherings of family and friends, and the Varners are continuing that tradition.
Within the first ten months of living here, Suzanne and Jim have already welcomed an Opera Memphis cocktail party, a family graduation event and several small, impromptu dinner parties. Recently, we enjoyed an afternoon tea party at this lovely home, a birthday get-together for ladies of all ages.
The party we happened upon was a fresh take on tea with handmade paper hats for the guests to wear and take home. All of the hats were different, and Suzanne added long satin ribbons with streamers to each, a personal touch for airiness and movement.
All of the specialty foods were one bite in size: handmade tartlets both savory and sweet. The homemade chocolate birthday cake was topped with marshmallow meringue icing. Fruit tea and wine spritzers were the beverages of choice. Carol and Sylvester Thornton catered the event.
Living Life to the Fullest.
Overall, the design of this home is a melding of many details, but the decorative choices are not a rambling of monotonous trivialities or unexplained clutter. Instead, a neutral palette frames decorative furnishings, artwork, found objects and distinctive items that have purpose, individuality and charm, all of which the Varners joyfully share, be it for a cookout, a formal dinner or simply an afternoon tea.
Thank you, Suzanne, for welcoming us as guests in your home today!
Resources
Interior design, Suzanne Varner Interior Design
Photography, Julie Wage Ross: juliewageross.com
Archtect for renovations, Charles Shipp: 901.680.0204
Contractor, Chip Tayloe: 901.767.1679
Landscaping, Geri Pitts: 901.458.0724
Landscape architect, Harriet McGeorge: 901.454.1713
Catering, Carol and Sylvester Thornton: 901.324.5242 or 901.722.8440
Floral arrangement, Le Fleur: lefleur.org
Porch table, Christie Cut Stone: christiecutstone.com
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