Elegance: remastered

A glass-topped Corinthian column creates a one-of-a-kind dining table, surrounded by custom Louis XVI-style chairs. And the room boasts two equally grand focal points: a magnificent painting by Marie-Cecile Aptel and an 18th-century Swedish secretaire. “The secretaire used to be in my bedroom,” says Williams. “Who ever thought it would translate so well to this room?” Painting, Tew Galleries. Secretaire, Jacqueline Adams Antiques. Corinthian column, A. Tyner Antiques.

The living room is a vision in white, from the armless sofa and Dessin Fournir chair to a pair of tables topped with lamps with bases that are some 200 years old. The neutral setting allows the focus to remain on the art, including works by Isabelle Melchior, Norman Lewis, Jennifer Cauley and Chris Bilton. Dessin Fournir chair, Jerry Pair. Lamps, Carter Hipp.

Even a desk at one end of the living room is truly a work of art. The 1960s piece, made for F. W. Woolworth, features a French-lacquered surface set on a Lucite base that creates a floating effect. “I found the desk in a remote antiques shop and I knew I’d rather die than not have it,” says Williams. “It’s the sexiest desk I’ve ever seen; it looks like it belongs on a yacht!”

In the family room, classic pieces, like the 18th-century French chairs and 19th-century French armoire, are interspersed with a David Roper cocktail table, Joseph Guay photography, a Greek olive jar, even an African ceremonial headdress—the combination grounded by a modern flat-weave rug. French chairs, Tom Hayes & Associates. Armoire, Anne Flaire Antiques. Rug, Moattar, Ltd.

In what she refers to as her “magic morning space,” Williams surrounds a marble-topped table with an inspired assemblage of seating pieces. “The fabulous reproductions of Venetian chairs were custom made by Angie Tyner and the Swedish chair from William Word Antiques is a lovely 18th-century piece. But you can’t tell that one’s 18th-century and the other is 21st-century, because they’re so well done,” she says. Meanwhile, a 19th-century Italian canapé from Jerry Pair is still decked out in its original muslin and nails.

Opposite a 19th-century white leather French bed, an artistic arrangement hints at Williams’ self-professed “thing for circles.” A black-and-white work by Craig Schumaker is propped atop a Swedish drop-leaf table, flanked by a pair of vintage lamps and fronted by Chinese white bronze tribal necklaces. Bed, Mimi Williams Interiors.

French doors in the upstairs office open onto a terrace. Simply outfitted with a zinc-top table and French iron-frame chairs, it’s a relaxing retreat as much as it is a work space. Table, The Gables Antiques.

Williams had old French pilasters turned into a headboard and consoles fashioned from salvage found in a church right here in Atlanta. Taking an inventive approach is a hallmark of her style, as is fine art in every room, represented here by a Samuel Papazian painting as well as black-and-white photography. Headboard and consoles, Mimi Williams Interiors. Painting, Tew Galleries. Gilt mirror, Interiors Market.

It’s all warmly familiar: The black-and-white palette, eclectic arrangements, fine art at every turn. But this isn’t the Ansley Park residence that, for 30 years, Mimi Williams called home. This Buckhead townhouse is not only larger than the designer’s former abode, but also a tad less traditional, too.

Still, her trademark style is by no means lost in translation. “Everything translated so differently, yet so elegantly,” Williams says. “It just fell into place. This is much larger than my former home, so it was a real surprise how intimate it feels, considering I have far more square footage.”

That’s not to say there aren’t a few new pieces thrown into the mix. In the living room, for instance, quietly neutral furnishings give way to an impressive assemblage of art. But the pièce de résistance is a 1960s desk made for none other than F. W. Woolworth. Made of Fiddleback Pacific Maple, its shiny French-lacquered surface is set on a Lucite base that creates a floating effect. “This whole room is all about that desk; it’s a piece of sculpture,” says the designer. “And it has my favorite sculptural objects on it—the bookends, the sphere, the Rosa Serra sculpture.”

Teaming the Modernist piece with an American Gothic chair, Williams secures her standing as a master of the mix. “The mix comes effortlessly,” she explains. “I’ve traveled extensively and been fortunate to buy some wonderful and unusual things. It is my hope that my home reflects the travelogue that it is.”

Likewise, the master bedroom is an example of inspired juxtaposition. Taking center stage here is a 19th-century French bed wrapped in white leather, balanced by a black 1970s Japanese screen at one end of the room and Craig Schumaker artwork (a clue to Williams’ “love affair with circles”) atop a Swedish drop-leaf table at the other. Rounding out the room are objets d’art both high-end and low-, but—given their common denominator colors—a vintage Serge Roche lamp is right at home next to a pair of Pier 1 pillows, Chinese tribal necklaces co-exist beautifully with a $10 bicycle found at a flea market.

In fact, the entire house is a treat for the eyes, not to mention a lesson in creativity. If a change of address results in this much inspiration, one can only hope Mimi Williams is on the move again soon.

Designer Mimi Williams’ Favorite things

Fabric of the Moment: Silk mohair
Paint Color She’s Dying to Use in a Project: Benjamin Moore’s “Iron Mountain”
Sheets and Linens: Antique French linens
China: Villeroy & Boch’s “New Wave”
Glassware: Riedel
Restaurant: Tierra
Museum: MoMA
Car: My Audi TT, white—of course—with a black top
Accessory: An abstract sculpture my son made in the third grade
Stationery: Rice paper from Asian grocery stores on Buford Highway
Wallpaper: Osborne & Little “Walk in the Park”
Watch: Corum
Flower: White tulips
Artist: Kimo Minton
Rug or carpet: Antique Oushaks
Vacation spot: To be determined; I need more vacations!
My dream house is… anything with an oceanfront view

INTERIOR DESIGN Mimi Williams, Mimi Williams Interiors, (404) 580-9800; mimiwilliamsinteriors.com