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Mary Robertson is the owner of Annie Laurie’s Antiques in Cape
Girardeau, Missouri—a mid-south town on the edge of Missouri on the
Mississippi River. Mary also owns
Annie Laurie's
Cottage where she hand-selects
all the furnishings and she provides antique appraisals and expertise
services for estate sales throughout the south.
SLR:
Thank you for talking with us today. I'm curious, what is
the most distinctive characteristic of southern decorating?
Mary:
Vibrant warm colors
spill across our walls and into our living spaces mimicking the flowers
and land outside our home. We tend to put an emphasis on bringing the
colors of the land around them into our homes. Whether its
complementing the colors, or duplicating them, southern decorating
usually means looking out your window as others might look at a painting
and considering, even pulling those colors into their home. I love
Plantation windows. They stretch from floor to ceiling you know
capturing light from sunrise to sunset.
SLR:
I had never thought of it that way, but I know exactly what you mean.
Anything else distinctive?
Mary: Perhaps not distinctive, but certainly valued in southern
decor--fresh, crisp linens on the tables, handmade quilts and
coverlets on the beds welcome our guests. Handmade seagrass baskets
from Charleston are a personal favorite accessory.
SLR: How would you describe southern décor, let’s say 100 yrs
ago? What’s changed?
Mary: Probably the biggest change in the early 1900s was the
Arts and Crafts movement. Arts and Crafts brought more
cottage and bungalow style houses to the South. Larger, ornate Victorian
furniture gave way to smaller, more practical Mission style
pieces.
SLR:
What
is the most interesting southern antique piece in your shop right now?
Oh, that’s a good question. I have six John Henry Belter style
dining chairs from a Natchez Mississippi estate.
SLR: Belter made ornamented designs right?
Mary: Yes,
John Henry Belter
was a cabinetmaker whose style
really set the standard and then, for better or for worse, became widely
imitated. The pieces in my shop are beautifully crafted.
SLR:
Tell us about the style?
Mary:
The
Belter style is mostly associated with the 1850 – 1870 period when décor
returned to a more romantic look. Belter’s style does not work for just
any room -- the size, light and color of the room has to be considered.
Such ornate, decorative pieces can be breathtaking, or overwhelming
depending on the quality of craftsmanship and the proportions.
SLR:
So what are your favorite southern antiques?
Mary:
Library tables, fireplace chairs, and old lithographs. I love antique
lithographs.
SLR:
Any
books you would recommend for those who want to learn more about
southern ant and decorating?
Mary:
I’ve
been asked that before and I still have to say that my first couple of
recommendations are
Southern Style, by Mark Mayfield and
Southern Style; Interior design from Miami to Houston.
SLR:
Great. With your endorsement, we’ll put those on our website for our
readers to check out for themselves. Before we go, I have to ask you,
all decorating aside. When you settle in for the evening in that
fireplace chair, with a good book, who might you be reading?
Mary: I’d have to say an old friend from my youth,
Carson McCullers,
Member of the Wedding and a new friend
Barbara
Kingsolver,
Bean Trees.
SLR: Well, we are big fans of both of
those around here! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.
I know you are very busy and we really appreciate your expertise and I’m
sure our readers will too! | 
