A crackerjack realtor friend quickly found a house that had real possibilities. It was cool and modern but needed some updates and a bit of TLC, things that come naturally to Mark as a designer. The biggest problem was a lack of light. “The ceilings were low, and there were all these short clerestory windows in rooms where you really need light,” says Mark. “It was depressing.” But he used his creative eye to see past these issues. “When we first arrived and I saw the front doors with their cool circles, I just started to smile,” the designer says. “I knew we could make some magic.” And there were some perks—a gorgeous garden, a beautiful lot, and, despite their small size, a lot of windows. Mark and Sissy decided to buy the home instead of renting and then revamp it into a space that would accommodate them and their collections of antiques during this transitional time.
