- A striking bedroom with a painted headboard in the Haizlip home on the Central Gardens Home Tour.
In addition to great local restaurants, unique shops and creative culture, a major perk of being a Midtowner is living among so much beautiful architecture. A walk or run around Central Gardens or the Evergreen Historic District provides endless eye candy for anyone who loves history and design. So many styles neighbor each other on the same streets, such as Arts & Crafts, Colonial, Tudor, Victorian, and the occasional Mid-Century surprise. But mostly, we’re just witnessing the front facades, so when there’s a chance to step inside, I happily oblige and in some cases, I don’t even mind waiting in line….
Which I did at the Central Gardens Association Home and Garden Tour with my friend and co-Midtowner Jessica Jackson. We were both inspired by the architecture, which included Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Arts & Crafts, an English-style cottage, and a strange Prairie Style-Neoclassical hybrid, each built in the first quarter of the 20th Century. The interiors of most of the homes were very well-preserved, well-decorated and personal. What I enjoyed the most was unexpected – most of these homeowners had incredible art collections. We viewed beautiful historic family portraits, Asian tapestries, contemporary works by noted Memphis artists such as Paul Edelstein and Jared Small, notable 20th Century pieces by Burton Callicott and works on paper by Le Corbusier himself! And that’s just to name a few.
Click through the gallery below to see some of the highlights of the tour. I hope you are inspired as well!
Yours,
Lana
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- Waiting in Line
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- The Mann House, 1913, on Harbert has been called Memphis's most outstanding example of Colonial Revival Architecture.
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- This Empire style chandelier is original to the home and was purchased from Sotheby's.
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- A Tudor Revival library was added in the 1920s.
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- Reading nook with art by Paul Edelstein
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- Clever kitchen ceiling, a newer addition.
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- Art by Memphian Jared Small
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- The back view, as lovely as the front.
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- The English Cottage style became popular after WWI. This house is from 1923.
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- A bedroom in the English cottage house
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- The step down dining room is flooded with light by a curved wall of French doors and casement windows.
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- The homeowner's heirloom chair, passed down through the Crump family.
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- Nearly 90 year old kitchen cabinets original to the house...and back in style!
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- The back garden of the English Cottage
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- This Arts & Crafts bungalow, 1910, on Central is well-appreciated and cared for by its current owners, architects Mary and Reb Haizlip.
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- Grand stained-glass and oak front door
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- The home boasts a massive Mannerist fireplace made of glazed terra cotta.
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- The millwork and stained glass in the home are characteristic of later Arts & Crafts.
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- Oak pocket doors
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- The Modern furniture in the home compliments the Arts & Crafts architecture.
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- Original Arts & Crafts dining room fixture
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- A piece by Burton Callicott, 1955.
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- A creative and stately solution for a headboard in the guest room.
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- Art by Le Corbusier hangs above the fireplace in the den, flanked by 20th century classics such as an Eames lounger and Art Deco chair..
I look forward to the Central Gardens Tour every year! It is so much fun and I always get ideas and feel inspired. I appreciate the care and attention to detail that many of the owners took in restoring their homes and achieving their own aesthetic vision. I especially like going with my designer and friend Lana! (Yay I made the blog, I feel famous…)
that craftsman fireplace surround is to die for — love the glazed terra cotta. looks like y’all founds several midtown treasures!
I enjoyed reading your blog and seeing all the pictures. Your photo tour was a real treat, well worth your wait in line. I especially liked the photograph of the table with the vase of flowers. The camera angle was was especially interesting. Thanks for the tour!