Southern Cosmopolitan

Sorbonne-educated gallery owner Timothy Tew seems to be one of those fascinating guys who is equally at home in Paris or Georgia. Case in point: his 90s apartment on Myrtle Street, a four-room residence inside a languid looking old circa 1910 clapboard, located within walking distance of Atlanta's dynamic High Museum.




If I had not mentioned the decade, could you date his interiors? With a mix of hand-me-down antiques, vintage finds, and of course salon-style groupings of art, they look rather timeless to me.

In her book, Atlanta at Home design journalist Frances Schultz quotes Tew as saying, "The South gave me an appreciation for gentility and beautiful things. There is a certain aesthetic here, and an appreciation for tradition, that I respect without being restricted by. And then living in Paris influenced me a great deal..."

What strikes me is the graceful quality of all his pieces -- from the mid-century desk to the antique sofa to the kitschy ceramic lamps. The art and upholstery add the spice, and can be rotated, but the core furniture is forever. (Click images to better see the details.)

All images are from Atlanta at Home, Wyrick & Company, 1994.