Art as inspiration, inside and out

The work of Phillipe Starck and homes in the Hamptons inspired Ian and Katie Walker to build a sculptural home perfect for their art collection.

Text by RACHEL POMERANCE: The courtyard is the centerpiece in Ian and Katie Walker's home. The steel doors that connect the interiors to the outdoor escape are found in every room of the home -- there are two dozen sets. The curtains are pulled aside on those facing the pool to let the light reflected off the water enter the home. "I think it's very Zen," says Katie, who owns commercial property. The patio furniture comes from one of her tenants, Kolo Collection.

The idea was to create a sculptural home, Katie explains. Inspiration came from Philippe Starck and homes in the Hamptons along with the Asian look of the terraces. Noah and Associates built the home designed by architecture firm Summerour & Associates. The empty nesters are looking to downsize and have listed the home for $5.225 million. Anna Wynne Stephens and Rudy Harrell of Dorsey Alston Realtors are handling the sale.

An updated take on parquet floors, the broad diamond pattern of the flooring carries a majestic feel that fits the living room, which hosts plush seating and artistic gems. "My goal was to turn it into a museum," Katie says. "I just think spatially it's perfect for art."

An area for a fireside chat is on one side of the living room. The painting above the custom limestone fireplace is by Richard Olsen, who taught at the University of Georgia. The wooden chairs are Indonesian works that Katie found at an antique shop in Alabama. Katie designed most of the home herself but had some help from Barbara Westbrook of Westbrook Interiors.

On the other side, a more casual seating area is set off by the lively look of Piccaso-esque artwork by Stephanos Heidecker. The furniture is a mix of new and vintage pieces.

Behind the Steinway piano, which belonged to Katie's mother, is a wall that can scoot across the floor with the help of a strip of carpet beneath it. Katie has used it as a backdrop for her daughter's school performances. For now, it carries an impressive collection of art, including a Renoir and Picasso. They were gifts her late grandmother received from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she served on the board.

Shades of blue create drama in the formal dining room. The electric hues of the seating are enhanced with luminous blocks of Swarovski lighting. Clear crystals are bordered in blue for a magical effect.

Between the kitchen and dining room, the butler's pantry has the same terrazzo floors as those in the kitchen. They contain stones from the Southeast region, and the earth tones warm up the modern look of the home. Meanwhile, The Container Store could learn from Katie's level of organization. Nearly every shelf is neatly labeled according to what glasses or dishes belong there.

The kitchen island was created with reclaimed wood. The 100-year-old red-and-white oak timbers were chosen for their thickness and "that really rich patina" of old wood, Katie says. Because she doesn't like the look of lots of cabinetry, she created a kitchen-cum-library here. It works for Ian, who had a cooking show in West Virginia and Pennsylvania in the early 1990s. Among his other jobs, he has lent his Bond-like British voice to commercials for the likes of Jaguar.

The family room carries the casual vibe of the kitchen with the same flooring. This is where the couple hangs out most because of its light and nearness to the outdoors and kitchen. Like the one in the living room, the fireplace is a custom limestone creation.

Katie's father's collection of children's books are atop the fireplace. The couple bought the Jerome Liebling photo in New York. Katie wanted it because it reminds her of Edward Hopper's paintings. The bookends are sculptures crafted by Katie's daughter Laura.

A sense of sculpture permeates the home. It can be seen in this view from the downstairs lounging area. This level has rows of Katie's impressive photography from a trip to Kenya, a guest room that opens to an outdoor terrace and an artist studio in which Katie works on her photography.

Landscaping was handled by The Garden Path. Katie says her biggest influence was Jacques Wirtz, a Belgian landscape artist who works with "landscape as form."

The entrance to the bedroom wing hosts this Italian vitrine from the 1920s. It displays a collection of Lalique crystal and jade found on travels.

Katie's son Mark, now 21, a business school student in Barcelona, was given free rein to design his room when they moved into this home in 2000. He paid homage to his hobby of racing cars with the posters over his bed.

When designing his bathroom, Mark chose to include a urinal and a rain shower. The porthole that you see in the mirror's reflection is in all that wing's bathrooms because Katie thinks the home has the heft of a ship. Well, it was built by a guy named Noah.

One end of the bedroom wing ends here. This lounging area is a prelude to Katie's daughter's bedroom.

Katie's daughter Laura, 25, works locally fund-raising for Teach for America. She has her artwork, including several sculptures, displayed throughout the home. Her prints hang in the bathroom.

Photos of nudes by Czech photographer Frantisek Drtikol, chosen for the "graphic sense of light and human form," adorn the couple's bedroom. The hallway to their bedroom features black-and-white Hollywood-esque family shots taken by Len Prince. There also are autographed photos of early modern dance guru Mary Wigman dedicated to Katie's great-grandmother, who taught dance in El Paso, Texas. For her part, Katie danced in two Minneapolis companies in her 20s.

Katie was going for "an elegant period bathroom" to summon the fashion of the 1920s and 30s. "I'm sort of enraptured by that period," she says, noting "the elegance of it, and the romantic notions of it." The nickel door pulls were created from a cast of a finial from the bathroom chandelier.

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Text by RACHEL POMERANCE: The courtyard is the centerpiece in Ian and Katie Walker's home. The steel doors that connect the interiors to the outdoor escape are found in every room of the home -- there are two dozen sets. The curtains are pulled aside on those facing the pool to let the light reflected off the water enter the home. "I think it's very Zen," says Katie, who owns commercial property. The patio furniture comes from one of her tenants, Kolo Collection.

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