Marston Luce "Humble Elegance"

Photo from southern accents.com

The new issue of Southern Accents just came out and is, as usual, chock full of great houses. The story about Washington, D.C. shop owner and antique dealer, Marston Luce, and his to die for 18th century farmhouse in France, is my favorite.

I had the pleasure and the disappointment of finding his shop one day a few years back, while strolling down Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. So happy to find it, only to peer into the windows longingly, as the shop was closed. The window shopping was good, though, really good.

While I would not claim to be a complete Francophile like some other popular bloggers, I do love antiques of many sorts. Visiting the Southern Accents website, I found it quite interesting that Mr. Luce likes to mix periods and styles . In the photo above, he mixes a Louis XV fauteuil, an 1800 Danish painted chest, a pigeon ornament from southern France, and a pair of Spanish candlesticks. This is a man after my heart.

I love too many things and often berate myself for not being more focused. At the end of the day, though, I live with what I love and it makes me happy.

Of course, it is affirming to read about someone like Marston Luce who , as he says, likes to create "humble elegance". There you go - that's what I like, too - I just didn't know what to call it!

"I like opposites. I am attracted to earthy, simple things, as well as elegant ones". Well said, Mr. Luce.

One thing I love is old paint. ( I mean old, as in original - not newly painted, scuffed up to look old, paint. ) I have three chests with the original paint still intact in my home and a variety of treasures sit upon each of them.

The one pictured is my favorite. It holds my stone book collection, a wooden lamb sitting on a wooden carved book from an old church in Iowa, a small painted stool from the Round Top antiques fair, a couple of old Mexican ceramic sheep, some painted shells from a shop in Seaside, Florida and a pair of reproduction candlesticks.

Hmmmm......... my own version of "humble elegance". I like it.