From an Old Friend

Those of you who loved and miss Southern Accents magazine will be happy to see a special-interest publication called The Best Southern Rooms on the newsstands until mid-July. I was glad to see some of my old and new favorites on glossy pages again, and all in one place, to boot.

And since words can be just as inspiring -- if not more so -- as images, I am happy to share some quotes by the designers included. Unless noted, none of the quotes correspond to the rooms here, but, you get the idea.

"I style a room the same way I would put together an outfit. My living room is like a classic suit worn with an outrageous shirt. I covered the pillows with vintage Pucci scarves and mixed them with a traditional sofa and antique French chairs." - Kim Zimmerman


"As far as I'm concerned, you can have a $20,000 chest and put a $2 trinket on it. I like to turn a corner and find something unexpected." - Betty Burgess (on the room above)


"In the end, all I hoped for was that every room was fit for flopping with a good book, that no table was beyond a convenient reach to rest a flute of Champagne, nor any fabric too fine for a favorite bulldog or nephew." - Patrick Dunne (love him and this quote, especially)


"I love to create patterns and textures by accumulating things in front of each other, building layer upon layer. And the great thing about it is that it's all things I truly love." - Richard Holley (on the room above)

"I take on each design process like an actor takes on a role in a movie. I start with the background, the history, and then add personality, memories, and color." - Jackye Lanham

"It's more interesting when there is something that doesn't quite fit." - Rachel Mbiango

"I never buy things for a particular place or purpose. I buy something because I like it, and then I find a place for it. It doesn't matter whether it's expensive or rare -- I just have to love it." - Dianne Cash

"I don't like a traditional room to feel dated or stale. It should feel fresh." - Barbara Westbrook



"A room should look like it evolved over time. It's about traveling and collecting personal things. A house should not look decorated or predictable." - Amelia Handegan

All photos appear in the book. Photographers are: William Waldron, Pieter Estersohn, Tria Giovan, Antoine Bootz, Michael Arnaud, and Eric Piasecki.