Background: Lapidus, owner of Liz Lapidus Public Relations in Inman Park, has paintings and prints by well-known local artists throughout her home. Photographer Angela West shot her bridal portrait, which hangs in the living room. She has pieces by Scott Ingram, Todd Murphy, Chris Verene, Kojo Griffin and other Atlanta artists whose work she has bought from galleries or has received in exchange for PR services. But the piece that's closest to her heart was painted by her famous grandfather, Morris Lapidus, the architect who designed the most luxurious, over-the-top hotels on Miami Beach. His first hotel, the fanciful Fontainebleau, was used in scenes for the 1964 James Bond film, "Goldfinger." His style of contemporary baroque drew criticism from his peers, but in his later years, a new generation of architects examined his work. Lapidus published an autobiography, "Too Much Is Not Enough," and was honored as an American Original by the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

Favorite piece: "Rubenstein in Concert," an acrylic by Morris Lapidus, 1965. She inherited the painting after her grandfather died in January 2001. "I've always wanted the piece," Lapidus says. "I used to ask him, 'Can you write my name on the back?' " The painting shows the pianist onstage with a line of listeners, including Liz's grandmother, Beatrice — Morris Lapidus' wife of 63 years. "She's the one in the red dress," Liz says. "He made her so skinny — he loved that about her. She was so glamorous." Also pictured is Liz's aunt and other relatives and friends of the architect.

Joey Ivansco / Staff (ENLARGE)

A treasured inheritance Liz Lapidus and dog Wylie rest in front of Lapidus' favorite work, a painting by her grandfather Morris Lapidus, an architect who designed famous Miami Beach hotels.

Why she loves it: "My grandfather loved to paint. It relaxed him," Lapidus says. "He was a proficient watercolorist, which you had to be back then as an architect. It was before computer-assisted design. Originally, he wanted to be an actor or a set designer, so his work was very theatrical. He built for the nouveau riche of postwar America. What I love about this painting is that it illustrates his belief that everything is a stage — even the audience members are sitting on the stage."

My Favorite Piece is a way to let Atlantans talk about the best-loved works in their collections. If you have a suggestion, email Kirsten Tagami at ktagami@ajc.com