| HOUSE PROUD
After a relationship ends, the designer remembers
a home crafted over four years
By Troy Broussard
Photograph by Bob Jackson 
Interior design can be one of the most expensive
and time-consuming tasks one can undertake. Whether
by hiring a professional designer or accumulating
furniture over time, creating an interior is an
important expression of individuality. An interior
is a unique reflection of taste, a record of experiences,
and a backdrop for entertaining. They are ever
changing, evolving with time, necessity, and fashion.
They are a labor of love. But unless you are Ima
Hogg or Elvis Presley, design is an art form that
is not preserved. Unlike quality furniture that
can be passed down through the ages or architecture
that will change ownership, interiors do not last.
This is an especially poignant and personal topic
for me. After five and a half years, my partner
and I are separating. We have sold our house.
This month, I have decided to feature the home
that we created together.
We bought the 1970s townhouse four years ago.
The place had an ordinary apartment look, with
white walls and plain carpet. But wooden accents,
architectural elements, eclectic furnishings,
and sensible ingenuity transformed it into a comfortable
New Orleans-style environment.
I did not approach this project in the same way
that I would for a client, but rather as a partner
who knew the ins and outs of putting a house together.
We created this interior not as a showplace, but
as a place we loved. And it was an adventure.
When we first got together, his idea of design
was a Pottery Barn catalogue. So my role was as
an educator, showing him how to look at art and
how to appreciate furniture of a more unique nature.
We arrived at joint decisions on what acquisitions
to make based on what would both enhance our lives
and would compliment the style of the home. We
would go out shopping, scouring antique stores
and art galleries for the perfect items wherever
we went.
Charity auctions, such the one that accompanies
the Human Rights Campaign dinner, are great places
to buy art at a good price. Hart Galleries’
auctions were also a good source of treasures.
On many a Sunday, we found ourselves sipping mimosas
and waving a bidding paddle. I recommend a thorough
preview and inspection of the offered items, however.
Furniture always looks better on the block—and
after a few mimosas.
After a “pet accident” on the new
white carpet, the wall-to-wall had to go. I did
it myself. He came downstairs one Sunday morning,
and I had half of the living room ripped out.
“What in the world are you doing?”
he laughed with disbelief.
The process of patching, grinding, and stripping
the foundation slab began. I rented a sander from
Home Depot and bought a transparent stain from
Bering’s Hardware. Warning: This is an extremely
dusty endeavor. The procedure took a week and
cost $250. The result is a functional stained
cement floor.
To soften the floor, we spread antique area rugs
throughout the residence, adding depth, richness,
and color. The two main rugs on the first floor
were purchased from Denton Jones, Inc. (If you
plan to visit, bring your decorator. Jones sells
only to the trade.)
Given the myriad of patterned rugs, I did all
upholstery on the first floor in leather—predominantly
black. I chose leather for ease of care and to
unify the eclectic periods and styles of furniture.
Leather additionally transformed antique pieces
that might typically be misconstrued as fussy
into comfortable and masculine furnishings. (The
decision to upholster everything in black leather
no doubt saved us from arguments over fabric selections,
too!)
The Rococo fauteuils (open armchairs) that flanked
the fireplace are a good example of how leather
can change the perception of a style. Characterized
by curvilinear shapes, Louis XV is a style typically
considered feminine and formal. Traditionally,
these chairs would sport brocade or tapestry.
Upholstered in black leather, they took on a more
masculine quality, have more of an edge, and were
more inviting. We always lounged on them with
our guests.
A 19th-century center table combined with a set
of four McGuire armchairs for formal dining. Again,
black leather grounded the chairs and gave the
rattan weight against the strength of the heavily
grained rosewood table. A pair of Louis XV side
chairs rested near the columns in the dining room
to pull up to the table when we entertained a
group of six.
Shopping for architectural antiques to plug into
an existing space is extremely difficult. The
shopping list must be precise, with proper measurements
in case a find is stumbled upon. Searching for
months for the right mantel, we discovered the
perfect specimen at Antiques on 19th in the Heights.
It was the perfect width and character for the
interior. After a carpenter cut it down and installed
it, the mantel looked as if it had always belonged
in the house.
We found the antique pine columns—rustic,
yet at the same time elegant—that divided
the living room and dining room at the Emporium.
Somewhere in time, two young lovers carved their
initials into them.
When we first met, my partner was less familiar
with art than I. But touring galleries and having
discussions about art opened the door for his
interpretations and a newfound appreciation. He
has an excellent eye for art, and we share a voracious
passion for collecting. Remember, art is what
the viewer makes of it, not what he is told to
think.
Our collection of paintings ranged from classical
to contemporary and from fine art to folk. An
inordinate amount of our income went toward the
purchase of artwork, and we loved the pursuit
as much as the collection. Meredith Long Gallery
showcases some of our favorite artists, such as
Sarah Lamb. Every time we acquired a new piece,
a lively discussion would occur about where to
hang it, and the walls were rearranged. Art is
food for the soul, and collecting art was a feast
that we shared.
We will always love each other and cherish the
four years that we spent in this home. But the
time came to divide our acquisitions. We divvied
up the furniture, the artwork, the china, and
the odds and ends. I got custody of the dog, a
birthday gift from him.
The home we created was beautiful, and moving
on was bittersweet. Though sad to be apart, we
are both excited to create separate interiors,
ones that will cultivate our growth as individual
men, rather than as a couple. But, you know, an
interior is a lot like a relationship. Once it
is over, there are little more than photographs
to convey its magic and articulate to others how
wonderful it once was.
Troy Broussard covers interior design for OutSmart
magazine, whose readers named Broussard best interior
designer in the most recent Gayest & Greatest
reader survey (“So Gay, So Great,”
October 2003).
RESOURCES
• French open armchairs
Carl Moore Antiques, 1610 Bissonnet
713/524-2502
• Architectural columns
Emporium, 1800 Westheimer
713/528-3808
• McGuire armchairs
Elouise Abbott Showroom, Decorative Center Houston,
5120 Woodway, Suite 3010
713/626-5915
• Sarah Lamb painting
Meredith Long Gallery, 2323 San Felipe
713/523-6671
• Rugs
Denton Jones, Inc., Resource Center, 7026 Old
Katy Rd., Suite 167
713/961-1183
If you have any comments about this article,
please email them to letters@outsmartmagazine.com.
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