Phoebe Howard - The Joy of Decorating: Southern Style with Mrs. Howard

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Table of Contents

Guide

THE

Joy

OF

D

ecorating

PHOEBE

HOWARD

WITH

SUSAN

SULLY

S

TEWART

, T

ABORI

& C

HANG

N

EW

Y

ORK

THE

Joy

OF

D

ecorating

SOUTHERN

STYLE

WITH

MRS

.

HOWARD

ithout hesitation, I dedicate this book to my husband,

Jim Howard. Not only is he a great husband and father, but he is also my business partner. When I look at the pictures

in this book, I am constantly reminded of the importance of his contribution to my work.

We have a divide-and-conquer strategy in our stores and in the projects we share. Jim does the space planning and

creates the architectural shell, from the stairs and paneling to the windows, moldings, wall finishes, and flooring. Then

he turns these incredibly designed spaces over to me. My job is to create the floor plans and select the furnishings,

curtains, rugs, and accessories that turn these spaces into inspiring rooms. How could they not look good? Its almost

impossible to fail with this kind of backdrop.

Jims rooms are very much a part of my decorating. We firmly believe that architecture and accessories make or

break a space. In terms of importance, furniture and fabrics fall somewhere in between. We trust each other implicitly

and respect each others judgment and ability. He is the reason I can get up every day and do what I do, working with

clients while running the stores on a daily basis. He is supportive and encouraging, always trying to get me to take the

next step. If he questions me, I usually listenthere is probably something to be learned from it. We have been married

for twenty-five years and business partners for sixteen. We are intermingled in a very complicated and satisfying way.

I am incredibly luckyand I realize it every day.

Without Mr. Howard, I would never have been able to become Mrs. Howard.

DEDICATION

mrs. howard

introduction

am not an interior designer. I did not attend

design school and have no formal training. I have never even worked for another designer. When I

reflect on how I happened upon this career, I realize that I did not choose it. It chose me.

I was lucky enough to have an incredible mentor in my lifemy aunt Myra Thompson from

Montgomery, Alabama. Aunt Myra touched many people in her life, and the world is a better place

for having her in it. She was poised and ladylike, but also acutely observant and intuitive.

I always loved to listen to stories of Aunt Myra and the house she decorated as a newlywed.

The floors were stained a deep shade of ebony and waxed until they gleamed. White cotton-duck

slipcovers so tight you could bounce a quarter off them covered all the furniture. Large vases filled

with fragrant white lilies from her husbands floral business stood in nearly every room. I was

intrigued by this vision of dark floors, white slipcovers, and lilies. It seemed so basic and simple, yet

so elegant. I realized that anyone could live surrounded by beautiful style if they chose to do so.

Aunt Myra affected my life more directly when I was the delicate age of thirteen. My parents

had divorced, and wed moved from Florida to Alabama for a year. I was having trouble adjusting

to the move and fitting in at my new school. My sweet Alabama relatives could see that I was

struggling and did what they do best: They fed me! Chicken and dumplings, fried green tomatoes,

ham and gravy, biscuitsthe food was incredible, and I consoled myself with it. I also gained thirty

pounds almost overnight.

INTRODUCTION

mrs. howard

introduction

I was struggling and everyone was at a loss about what to do. But not Aunt Myra. She decided to decorate my room.

She painted the walls pale blue. She found an iron bed, which she had sandblasted and lacquered white. She made caf

curtains from floral sheets, scalloping the top hems and hanging them with light-blue grosgrain bows. She cut off the sheets

borders and appliqud flowers around the edge of an aubergine skirt for the bedside table. She painted an old dresser with

an attached mirror in sage-green stri. A white wicker desk appeared. The final touch was a satiny-blue quilted bedspread.

I can still close my eyes and recall every detail of that room. It embraced me and allowed my wounds to heal.

When I think back to the impact the room had on me, I realize how powerful our environments can be. They affect

us far more profoundly than we realize. In every room I decorate, my goal is to re-create the same sense of inspiration

and comfort I felt in that bedroom. I want to make a difference in my clients livesto give them what they hope for

and dream of in their surroundings.

I did not find my calling until after raising four children with my husband, Jim, a designer with a thriving career

in architectural interiors and decorating. Throughout most of our marriage, I stayed at home with the kids, but I

always kept an eye on Jims business, observing from afar. By the time our youngest child started first grade, I was

ready to launch a business of my own.

In 1996, Jim and I purchased a condemned building in Jacksonville, Florida, and transformed it into the first

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