And those collections are special—inherited and acquired over a lifetime of loving art and working in interiors. In the early days of his career, Mark worked for what he calls “a pretty traditional design firm.” The firm’s style was typical of Nashville’s overall design theme at the time—antique, English, mahogany. Mark’s duties included traveling to England in search of furniture, such as serpentine-front and bowfront chests and Serapi or Heriz carpets. But decorating tastes in Nashville have changed over the last 20 years—as have Mark’s own tastes. “My palette is simpler and cleaner now,” he says. “I will always love antiques, of course, but I like to balance them with lighter elements.”