Rena Barclay received a phone call from her close friend, Deane Donnigan, asking for help with the restoration and interior design of a Federal Period house in Savannah’s Downtown Historic District.
The house was very dated - it was tired and needed a great deal of attention. The brief was to bring the house back to its original state but with added modern, state of the art, conveniences.
With the house located 4000 miles from England, it created the hurdle of commuting overseas for site meetings. However, Deane was living in England, so Rena was able to discuss fabrics, finishes and furniture in person. They shopped in London and in the English countryside and amassed a collection of furniture to ship over to Georgia.
Rena loves antiques and all things modern, so her style can be described as both transitional and eclectic. ‘I like to mix elements up from all eras, as though these things have been handed down from one generation to the next,’ says Rena.
When looking at the end result, this house is a combination of styles: English, American, Traditional, Contemporary and Southern. ‘It is a reflection of the influences absorbed by Deane over the years due to living in various parts of the world. That, to me, is a great accomplishment and should be true with all projects.’