When a local couple decided to spend more time in their North Shreveport home, they felt that it needed a significant change. At their Florida property, living was more contemporary and stream-lined, and they decided it was an easier way to live. Busy managing other projects, they decided it was too much work to tackle a make-over, and they knew they didn’t have the ability to make the edits needed for this new style of living.

Cue Myron Griffing of Space:interiors – a masterful designer with a passion for color and making the most of a particular space. Having become acquainted with Griffing’s work through previous editions of The Forum and Citylife Magazine (Griffing has also been featured in Louisiana Life), the homeowners knew they needed a new direction that included a keen, objective eye. After an initial meeting, shared ideas and proposed sketches and fabrics, they decided it was a perfect fit.

Not wanting to overly influence the designers’ creative process, they left the rest up to the inspiration of him and his team.

“Basically, the clients wanted just a fresh start,” Griffing said. “The home was stuck in an overly decorated mish-mash of beautiful things. There was just so much you couldn’t appreciate anything. Our goal was to highlight their collections in a modern setting.”

The proposed new design was a “wow” for the homeowners, though they openly confessed to having a hard time letting go of family heirlooms. They were beautiful, they said, just no longer right for them. “Keep your memories, but a new environment can really change your perspective,” they said.

In a stroke of serendipity, and without discussion between the parties involved, the clients had already been considering a white palette for the walls to showcase the artwork and let the art be the color. It was an affirmation for the homeowners when the Space:interiors crew showed up with their presentation of museum white walls, French molding and a unique lacquered emerald green ceiling. Unbeknownst to Griffing, friends have referred to the home as “Oz” for many years – it’s remote, a little magical and a great place to leave the world behind.

The clients acknowledge they could never have imagined this final vision. “Myron’s sketches of the new design were spot on, and that is what he delivered,” they said. “We love that it’s not only comfortable, fresh and inviting, but it’s equally as over-the-top as it was before!”

It’s important in building or in redesigning to keep the heart and identity of the homeowners central, regardless of current trends, and Griffing was able to accomplish just that.

As each newly re-imagined or upholstered piece filled its pre-determined place, the rooms continued to blossom and come back alive.

The clients were also up front that the formal rooms were just that – formal. They needed to be comfortable for guests, but it was also an opportunity to do something special. “No one will ever pile up and watch television in the living room here,” the homeowners said. “Curling up with a book and a glass of wine, or having cocktails or a dinner party are the only expectations for these rooms, so even the white rug wasn’t a problem!” After it was confirmed that a few fussy antiques could go, and a favorite sofa could be reupholstered and painted black, the homeowners’ “walls were down” for the design team. Griffing says that when he got the green light on painting the sofa, he knew he could create his dream room.

The clients said they love Griffing’s finished design. “It is refreshingly bright and beautiful, just like life should be,” they said.

According to Griffing, the biggest challenges from this particular project were finding the perfect sofa and coffee tables for the den. Also, incorporating all the art was tricky, but crucial. The den was the last room to wrap while perfect lamps and fixtures were found to make it sing.

Thankfully, Griffing has an art degree, which he finds useful in these situations.

“For the living room, the art had to have green in it,” Griffing said. “Scale is also important. In the living room we went with all figural art and one landscape, while in the dining room we did all landscapes and one figural.”

The results are magical. Griffing’s personal favorite elements at the end of the job were the lacquered ceiling painted by Kenny Matlock at DeLoach Painting, and the drapery Griffing designed.

“When working with clients, we ask them to provide three to five inspiration pics of rooms they love,” Griffing said. “It’s the whole ‘picture is worth a thousand words’ thing, and it’s true. Homeowners determine budget. We try our best within their fiscal parameters.”

Space: interiors utilizes a variety of local shops, from Shreveport- Bossier to Tyler to Monroe to New Orleans. “We shop everywhere,” Griffing said.

“We hit estate sales, flea markets and antique shops, too. Doing this gives our rooms a collected, not-just-purchased, look.”

“Each project we start is different from the last. People are all uniquely different. Their interiors should be a representation of them as well,” Griffing said.

PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS

Living Room Painting, fi nishes, repairs CAM Home Services, L.L.C.

Green ceiling DeLoach Painting, Kenny Matlock Upholstery and drapery fabrics Milling Around Drapery maker Virginia Harris McKinnon Cocktail table Yarbroughs Carved white mirror Material Things Fur pillows Pier One Throw pillows on green sofas Target Dining Room Ceiling wallpaper Caddo Paint Table High Fashion Home Crane lamp z gallerie Rug rugs.com Gold bench seats House of Carpets and Lighting Louis XV chairs Designer’s Showroom Den Sofas Ethan Allen Carpet House of Carpets and Lighting Area rug Material Things Coffee tables Briggs & Co.

Chairs World Imports Martini tables Target Floor lamps House of Carpets and Lighting Table lamps Paul Michael’s Ring chandelier Material Things