Illustration by Alison Leverone
Marcia Sherrill
The New LUXURY

INSIDE STORY

I was in the midst of a recent design crisis and called brother Billy, panting with fear. But he stopped my hyperventilation with an excellent question: “Do you remember the moment when we called and told you Daddy had died?” “Yes,” I answered, coming up for air. “And when Peach Blossom died?” he continued. “Did you honestly give a crap about some fabric or a lampshade or even a TV show? What went through your mind?” Nothing, hysteria, everything. My world had collapsed. And he was right. When Blossom died, I raced out and bought a new puppy. She may not be the Jimmy Choo shoes I wanted or the new rabbit fur coat from eBay (for a mere 186 bucks), but she sleeps right on top of me and my new Manuel Canovas coverlet, and gives Anabelle and me so much pleasure. I could live in a cardboard box outside ADAC and be happy as a clam—because I am.

It’s not that times of utter austerity are upon on us, but this recession is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the real luxuries of life—family, friends, pets and that simplest of feelings, joy. Here’s what brings joy to local tastemakers.

Keith Summerour
“The new luxury for me is smelling wood burning in the outdoor fireplace with my wool cap pulled over my ears.”  —Summerour is the owner of Summerour & Associates Architects. Summerour.net

Erica George Dines
“Luxury to me is getting to spend quality time with my husband and two daughters in our new kitchen.”  —Dines is a well-known fashion and interiors photographer. EricaGeorgeDines.com

Beth Webb
“Due to the downturn, my firm actually had some surplus time on its hands. As a result, I found that I was able to accept invitations for long, languishing lunches with dear friends, spend quality time with my children and actually find time to have dinner parties for eight—on a weeknight, no less! My workout was a possibility once more. I even worked in a 10-day trip to Europe … guilt free! Now, as the tide has turned and life has returned to some semblance of normalcy, I’m back to take-out and the drive-through. Once again, all this only proves that time is, indeed, the greatest luxury.”  —Webb’s design firm is Beth Webb Interiors. BethWebb.com

Jim Howard
“Having better rooms is not only about better furniture or better objects; it’s about the details that are the stuff dreams are made of. Luxury is about habitable rooms with nothing being too perfect or contrived.”  —Howard is the owner of Mrs. Howard and Max & Company, as well as his own design firm, James Michael Howard Inc. JamesMichaelHoward.com