LAYERED ELEGANCE

CONTEMPORARY ART AND EUROPEAN ANTIQUES CREATE A GRACEFUL HOME FOR ERIN MATHEWS.

BY NANCY COHEN ISRAEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN SMITH

The vestibule is a chinoiserie-filled embrace. This elegant space, where black geometric-patterned wallpaper contrasts with Asian-inspired antiques, immediately suggests unconventionality. Erin Mathews’ interest in antique furnishings may come as a surprise to those who know the queen of Dallas luxury real estate. “People think my house would be stone-cold modern,” she says, adding, “I love European antiques.” Still, Mathews’ pursuit of contemporary art is immediately evident with John-Paul Philippe’s Riff 1, an emulsified gouache on linen mounted on panel, situated beneath an antique mirror. It’s a find from Barry Whistler Gallery.

In addition to magnificent, rare finds—many from Nick Brock Antiques—Mathews’ home is also filled with contemporary art. It is from this vantage point that interior designers Pierce Barry and Shelby Owens, of Shelby Owens Interiors, drew the most inspiration. “The art is the basis of the whole residence,” Barry explains. The home was primed for art. The previous owner, Helga Feldman, widow of Samuel Feldman, was a prominent art collector. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Sam F, commissioned for the Feldmans, was recently gifted to the Dallas Museum of Art.

In the newly updated space, the dining area comes alive with a joyous work by Dan Rizzie, acquired at the Dallas Art Fair. Its ebullience provides the palette for the open living area. Echoes of Rizzie’s layered, mixed-media surface are reflected in the dining chairs, with their Dedar Milano upholstery, as well as in the antique Turkish Oushak rug upon which the table stands.

In the living room: Otis Jones, Untitled Blue with Three Red Lines , 2006, mixed media on Arches paper, John Adelman Inventory (Artist’s Studio Corner), 2006, gel ink on paper; Otis Jones, Untitled (White with One Yellow Line), 2006, mixed media on Arches paper; All from Holly Johnson Gallery; 18thcentury fireplace mantle in breccia marble from Wolf Hall; 1950s coffee table; 20th-century French recliners; 1960s X-Form bronze bench, ebonized in Élitis upholstery; antique Turkish Oushak rug; custom Cuellar swivel chairs in Kerry Joyce fabric; French Bergère chair in Creation Metaphors fabric; custom sofa with Casamance fabric and Fortuny pillows from David Sutherland; on the far wall hangs Frank Stella, Going Aboard, 1989, silkscreen, lithography, linoleum block with collage.

This color scheme spills over into the adjacent sitting area, where the designers incorporated solid-colored textiles into most of the living room’s furnishings, providing a platform against which the art can shine. As Owens notes, “Erin’s art really inspired the color palette of the textiles.”

The works on paper enveloping this space find balance between the warmth of Frank Stella, a rare Santa Fe find from Mills Contemporary, and the coolness of Otis Jones and John Adelman. Much of Mathews’ art collection has been acquired locally, including the works by Adelman and Jones from Holly Johnson Gallery. “Holly took me under her wing and didn’t let me make mistakes,” Mathews confides.

In one corner of the living room, Barry and Owens created a cozy nook framed by amber-trimmed pink curtains that hang as a continuous ribbon along a wall of windows. Their softness is the perfect foil to a self-portrait by Lance Letscher. By suspending this work, the designers gave the space the feel of a European salon. A pedestal with James Sullivan’s sculpture Two Figures bookends it. “I go to the Dallas Art Fair every year. It gives me a chance to see local, national, and international galleries. I like to see what they choose to bring.” says Mathews.

This area also marks a transition point towards the Gaggenauequipped kitchen, with its black-and-white simplicity. The focal point here is Night Vision, a large work on paper by James Surls. It has its own prestigious provenance, having come from the estate of the late gallerist and arts advocate June Mattingly. Stone and Sky, a geometric work by Grant Hayunga, provides a contrast to Surls’ organic forms. A Vaughan Wyvern wall sculpture provides illumination as well as a playful element to the space. Nearby, the monochromatic Venus I, by David Bates and acquired from Talley Dunn Gallery, links the kitchen to the dining area.

The dining room enjoys a punch of color with Dan Rizzie’s Islandia, Yellow, Flashe, collage, and aqua leaf on canvas from Gerald Peters Gallery, New York, above an art deco sideboard of zebra wood, amboyna, and ebony inlaid striping; custom table of ebonized wood with brass inlay; David Bates, Venus I, 2010, oil on paper, from Talley Dunn Gallery, antique Turkish Oushak rug with Italian armchairs, circa 1900, in Dedar fabric.

The hallway leading to the bedrooms is complemented on one side by a view of Turtle Creek. A glass-enclosed guest bedroom takes extra advantage of this view while providing a glimpse into additional works in the collection. Here, a sumptuous antique silk robe serves as a focal point between Silence XVI, a gold-toned monoprint by Joan Winter, and the patterned burst of color in Topkapi Maze by Susan Barnett, acquired from Holly Johnson and Conduit galleries, respectively.

The primary bedroom is a confection of all that Mathews adores. Salmon-hued walls provide an oasis of serenity where antique and contemporary are equally complemented. A tree of life tapestry from Ann Schooler’s Wolf Hall Antique Collective dominates the space. It is juxtaposed with Ghost for…people stealing…are computers? by Todd Camplin. Rendered in ink, Camplin’s work has a floral quality that echoes the textile’s stylized pomegranate tree. The calming palette continues through the adjoining bath, which is punctuated with work by Ellen Tuchman and Susan Sales.

Mathews, who bought her home about two years ago, credits Owens and Barry with creating a fresh, comfortable look. “It helped solidify my thinking of what I liked. I love all kinds of art. As you combine it with interior design, you can see it evolve. It helps you zero in on a look you love,” she says. The result blends her seemingly disparate tastes into a cohesive whole. Barry sums it up best, saying, “The unit, the layout, and the flow are tailored for her. The home is so beautiful but also so livable.” P