vintage spaces
“Clara’s” room is filled with pieces from 1860-1901. The Pruitt’s invented her character as a way to give life and story to the room and their love of late 19th century ephemera. Pieces include tribute shadow boxes made with human hair and fish scales, and a large Murphey bed.
other quickly and inevitably decide to let us in on the secret. There are actually two fictitious families living in the home with them. “This all came to pass because our daughter’s friend made a good point. When we would show people a piece, we would use the term ‘her’ a lot,” Mary explained. “Like, this is ‘her’ radio, or ‘her’ dishes in the dining room. We decided we should actually decide who ‘her’ is.” Eventually, the family decided together that the fictitious Clara, who is
And the story is communicated through the pieces he and Mary seek out. In fact, the narrative is of the utmost importance to the Pruitt home. “I don’t just buy something antique because I think it’s pretty or interesting or from the mid-century era,” Stephen said. “We work within a set of limitations as to what goes into this house.” So what are the requirements for the pieces in the Pruitt home? When Stephen and Mary are asked this question, they smile at each
VintageKC / Spring 2014 20
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