IF YOU DIDN'T know Eleanor Scott Davis was an artist before entering the four-bedroom home she shares with her husband and three daughters (ages 9, 7, and 5), you would figure it out as soon as you crossed the threshold of the colorful, light-filled abode. Bold abstracts, delicate sketches, large-scale still lifes, portraits, and landscapes pop off the walls and give the space a bright, gallery-like feel. "With every collection I release of my own, we try to add a new piece from a different artist," says Davis, an abstract expressionist who is inspired by all the chaos and joy of motherhood.
Her work inevitably bleeds into her interior design aesthetic, jumping off her canvases to inform the furniture, light fixtures, textiles, and finishes that she chooses to decorate her family's nest. As in her paintings, the purposeful layers of color and texture create an overall look and feel inside the home that is greater than the sum of their individual parts. It is sophisticated yet inviting, playful yet smart. The interiors balance an artist's eye for good design with her busy young family's contemporary lifestyle. Here's how Davis took on her largest and most encompassing project yet.
Mix Antiques and Contemporary Art
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Southern Living.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Thumbs Up
Three twists on the classic chocolate-filled cookie
SUPPERTIME: Elegant Made Easy
Tender braised short ribs are fancy enough for Christmas dinner or any special occasion. Bonus: They're even make-ahead
A Big Easy Christmas
Let the good times roll in New Orleans
TIMELESS DECOR: Good as Old
Natural elements and folksy finds infuse this 1886 Georgia cottage with warm-fuzzy charm
Classic Pattern, New Spirit
Four tastemakers put their fanciful spins on an old-faithful Spode collection
MEET HER IN ST. LOUIS
Trimmed with ribbon and wrapped in wallpaper, designer Amy Studebaker's 1950s Missouri home proves there's no such thing as too much of a good thing especially this time of year
A TENNESSEE TREASURE
For nearly 115 years, The Hermitage Hotel has been Nashville's holiday mainstay
The Powerg Poinsettias
A little while back, a neighbor knocked on my door, hoisting up a ruby red plant so enormous it concealed her completely from midriff to head. I was new to the area, and this was her way of welcoming me. A poinsettia, vividly colored, overflowing its pot, and endearingly ill-timed-it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet. But the plant seemed to brighten up the whole world just a bit, as if daring anyone to reject the early holiday spirit. You could say it kick-started my love for the leafy shrub and what it seems to represent: a simple kind of goodwill.
WRAPPED WITH CARE
In San Antonio, Christmas isn't complete without a plate of steaming tamales on every family's table
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1984
Entertaining now is quite different than it was 40 years ago, but our recipes stand the test of time
