SA: When entertaining, how do you like to set the table?
JS: Every meal should feel like an event. I believe in the word dining. I would much rather dine than eat. I truly enjoy fine linens (another gift from my mother and grandmother), Old Paris porcelain used with gold chargers in the spring and summer, and Royal Crown Derby's Old Avesbury for Thanksgiving and Christmas. In Dallas, we have Bernardaud's Frivole, which has a spring green motif that looks wonderful with walls that are the color of the sea. I also use place mats made of capiz shells that glisten in candlelight.

SA: How do you conceal flat-panel televisions, or do you?
JS: Flat panels are the best thing to happen in the world of design in recent years. I don't always conceal them. Most often, I hang them like a piece of art over a cabinet that houses the audiovisual equipment. In libraries, I place them in the cases surrounded by books. They have been my salvation from armoires and built-ins, besides saving space.

SA: What are your favorite elements in a kitchen?
JS: I am so over granite countertops. I know they are practical, and if you must, use honed Absolute Black and seal it. Many marbles work beautifully as countertops. I love the look of a white kitchen with white cabinets and stainless appliances. If I want to go modern, I use flat European-style doors with a stainless backsplash. I am doing a kitchen now that has a more aged look, with an old mirror in the door panes and a pair of alabaster chandeliers over the island. For floors, I like dark wood. For a sleeker look, I choose a black granite composition tile called Fritztile. I must add that for modern houses or even a house leaning slightly that way, I love Poliform and Bulthaup kitchens. Just opening the drawers is a wonderful experience.

SA: What is your favorite period of design? How did this influence your own furniture collection?
JS: I love Louis XVI, Regency, and 1940s French. Of course, the French '40s designers were referencing the Louis XVI and Directoire periods with everything made a little larger and certainly "cleaned up." They used a lot of light woods, which I like to use, but I love to use different woods, periods, and textures. I find that Regency works quite well with other periods. I think pieces that mix with many other periods and styles inspire my furniture collection the most. If it won't mix, it doesn't make it into my collection.

PAINT SELECTIONS

1. 25 by Donald Kaufman "A wonderful pond green that looks cool and inviting in almost any room. I used it in the living room of a high-rise overlooking trees and Turtle Creek.", 2. Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore "It's in many bedrooms I've done because clients see it in my conference room and love it.", 3. Mink by Benjamin Moore "The best chocolate brown for libraries and entry halls.". (Photos: Howard L. Puckett)

FABRIC SELECTIONS

1. Ultrasuede in Snow Leopard by Hinson & Company "This fabric looks terrific with any color walls and goes with everything.", 2. Stoddard by Scalamandré "It looks great on sofas and chairs.", 3. Tabac in chamois by Manuel Canovas "I love the color combination, and it is very durable. I have used it on a chair with Cashwool II in ivory by ClassicCloth on another chair in the same room; they make a fabulous combination.". (Photos: Howard L. Puckett)