named after Mary’s grandmother, is a Victorian seamstress who lives in the bedroom at the top of the stairs. Consequently, every object in the room comes from 1860-1901 and tells Clara’s story. Her intricately constructed dress from 1870 hangs on a mannequin and has never been worn. The heavy drapes that surround the windows are from 1890. Framed in a large shadow box is a wreath with bits of a woman’s hair woven into it, which was a common art practice in the 1800s. The room is a collection in every sense of the word, and no piece goes in that doesn’t contribute to Clara’s story — even if Stephen has to improvise every now and again. “Mary and I found an ear horn from this period that didn’t really make sense for Clara, but we loved the piece,” Stephen explained. “So we decided the ear horn belonged to her father, and now it can go in this room. Problem solved!” With the exception of the Victorian room, the home is mainly made up of mid-century pieces, which are attributed to Clara’s granddaughter and her family. And just like with Clara’s room, each piece in the house contributes to the family’s narrative and timeline. Even the dining room wall is painted Pink Flamingo, a color from the archives of the 1950s.
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For Stephen, it is these fic- titious families that make the difference between a cohesive collection and a smattering of random objects. Stephen’s wife and children joke that he is a frustrated curator living in a professor’s body, and he has to agree. “I simply want to live surrounded by a museum something from every time period, then it becomes an antique mall. That’s fun to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” Stephen and Mary’s dedication to recreating the past has begun to quality collection,” he shrugged. “If you have
Stephen and Mary’s Fantastic Finds Boob Tube The 1950s television in the Pruitt family room was found at an Antique Mall in Columbia, MO. And of course, it works. Reflections The mirror in the Pruitt liv- ing room is from 1958 and was a Retro Inferno find Heirlooms The furniture in Stephen and Mary’s bedroom are the only pieces in the house that are refinished, due to the condition they were in when they acquired them. The furniture was Mary’s parents’, and she has a deep emotional attachment to the set. Game Time When Stephen and Mary host parties, people love playing “Mystery Date” and “Careers” — board games very popular in the 1950s.
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absolutely love this look. Mixing modern and vintage is very in right now. It couldn’t be a better time to find inspiration and pieces all around us. Some people may have 20th cen- tury legacy furniture (better known as hand-me-downs) that they would like to showcase. Or you may love to hunt and scour estate sales, flea markets, etc., for that one perfect vintage fabric, wallpaper or accessory. When combining the two, establishing a dominant style is key. It will help tremendously in avoiding a clut- tered look and an all-out war where there is clearly no winner. You want the two styles to complement each other rather than clash. It really is true that opposites attract. Don’t be afraid to pair a modern sofa or chair with a vintage fabric. Geometrics played a huge part in mid-century textiles. Take a vintage headboard and style it with a fabulous Eames fabric. By the same token, you can let similar elements of both eras rest side-by-side for a polished look. Add modern chairs (think ghost chairs) to a worn and weathered farm table. Hang a flat-screen TV above that 1950s bar cabinet. Lighting is the most important element when designing/ decorating any room. There are so many mid-century lamps to be had out there right now — everything from sleek and sexy to downright kitschie, and they all make for a great look and great conversation. Put a new/contemporary shade on a vintage lamp. Or better yet, strip the old shade off completely and showcase the wire form of the shade. Not only does it provide a lot of light but a lot of look — quite industrial. Clean lines. This can be achieved in so many ways. Combine a sleek new faucet wall-mounted over a farm sink. You can warm up the sleek, clean lines of mid-century modern by creating a backdrop of rustic wood floors or a simple trim around windows and doors. Color. This is definitely one of the very few times you will ever hear me say you may want to think about painting your walls white. It is the perfect canvas for highlighting those killer textile patterns and colors of both the vintage and modern periods.
pay off dividends in their future. They have fused their love for unique pieces together with their passion for cinema. Several pieces from their home have made appearances in both of their completed movies, “Works in Progress” and “Terminal.” Their newest cinematic endeavor, “Dust,” might even feature a woman who is a collector. The Pruitt’s home has come a long way since 2001, and though they aren’t searching for as many pieces as they have in the past, Stephen and Mary know their eye will never stop wandering. “What we’re really doing here is creating an environment,” Stephen said, “and I view that environment as a part of my art, whether it’s for my house or for one of my movies. I’m just always creating.”
Kim is a writer, interior designer and sales rep. She is also a complete klutz that can crank out a killer cartwheel on demand. Her favorite place to write is curled up on the couch, with her weiner dog and two cats fighting for a spot on her lap. ^
-Deb
Deb Vogler has been creating her own brand of Comfort by Design for more than 15 years. She deals with all aspects of design, from budget- ing, to floor plans (renovation or new construction), to furniture, to color at her full-scale design firm. Have a designing question for Deb? Send it to erin@vintagekcmag.com.
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