Photography by Michael Hunter
Designer C. Renea Abbott found the striking 1960s paintings that star as a stacked duo in the formal living room at acclaimed McClain Gallery in Houston. She also has an eye for antiques, such as the two French noblemen plaster sculptures on display in this same room. She says, “I worked as an assistant for Irvine and Fleming, a New York firm, in the late ’80s. Keith Irvine gave me a crash course in high-end antiques. They would often send me out while we were doing an installation to find a perfect piece. This has remained a part of my design sense.”
From Manhattan penthouses to Los Angeles mansions, Houston-based designer C. Renea Abbott has run the gamut of décor projects, and even after more than 25 years in the business, she still enjoys a challenge. Such was the case for this abode belonging to Jay and Allie Fields. “The homeowners are a vibrant couple, involved in many charities,” Abbott says. “They top the list of the ‘young beautiful things.’” So for their new home near a high-end shopping mecca, the designer knew the look would need to be chic, sophisticated, and utterly fabulous.
The couple had already selected a timeless look for the framework. Crafted in “Santa Barbara style,” the abode, built by Southampton Homes of Houston, boasts a white stucco exterior, Italian clay roof tiles, high ceilings with exposed beams, a mix of wood and stone flooring, a small dipping pool, and arches galore. But when the build was complete, they looked to Abbott to help the home reach its full potential. The Louisiana native remembers seeing walls covered in builder’s beige. Abbott says, “I wanted to do something edgier and striking that would pop against the white upholstery.” The palette took a dramatic turn, as dark hues transformed the spaces from typical to trendy. She adds, “Its current look is, a perfect setting for my clients and their high-style friends.”
Abbott combined pieces from the couple’s collections with found treasures, many from her store, Shabby Slips. which she co-founded with her mother, Barbara Carlton. For more than a decade, the shop specialized in custom slipcovers, and as the shop’s popularity grew, so did its offerings. It now includes exquisite antiques, furnishings, and other design elements that Abbott often uses in her projects. “I like to mix soft, contemporary upholstery with antique chests, consoles, and side chairs,” she says. “Not too traditional or modern, but transitional.”
Abbott used those mix-and-matching skills to shape high-impact looks for the Fieldses. For the formal living room, she presented two paintings from the ’60s by Al Held, and the couple emphatically approved. In fact, they acquired a third painting—this one by Charles Christopher Hill— to complement the pair. Together the designer and clients found ways to incorporate Allie’s keen fashion sense into fabric choices and even gave subtle nods toward Jay’s work in the steel industry via fittings and finishes. The collaboration continued, and they added French sculptures, silk draperies, and other au courant accessories. The finished look is bold as well as beautiful, and the Fieldses now have a place to truly call their own.
