Home Tour: A Little French Style in Old Hyde Park

Not long ago I posted a "shop tour" of one of my favorites in Tampa, Chez Orleans. What makes this store such a gem, besides the great selection of antiques, (I can never visit without seriously coveting an item or two) is the owner Carol Timberlake. Charming and gracious, Carol makes everyone who enters feel welcome and special. And the lady can tell a story – especially when it comes to her shopping adventures!

Click on any image for a larger view.

Carol, at home, always so chic!

Home, for Carol, is a wonderful Craftsman bungalow on a beautiful shady street in Tampa's Hyde Park. I'll let her do most of the talking, from here on. As you read, just add a slight Southern lilt to her words, to get the full effect ...

CT: "The house has been 'bastardized' over the years ... primarily by the addition of the storm shutters. I had originally planned to remove them, but have grown to love them. We actually use them during hurricane season. I would like to add more, but the Architectural Review Commission would never allow it now. I would like to restore the large front stoop/porch and repaint with a totally different color scheme."

About the living room: "The sofa is a 19th c French daybed that I saw in the warehouse of a local importer almost 10 years ago. It was already sold and I begged her to find me another one, but she never could. Years later, I went on a house call and there was the daybed. Could not buy it fast enough. I had it recovered in vintage ticking. The two large pillows in the corners are antique French toile, the rest are a mixture of old and new. The needlepoint chair (to the left of the sofa) was bought to sell in the store, but I set it down in the living room and liked how it tied everything together ... end of story there. The other chair is a reproduction, but I loved the detail of the chair itself and the fabric. It looks great in every room of my house, and is a good example of how you can mix old and new. The cocktail table is Italian with an inlaid bird design on the top and red suede legs with nailheads, probably mid century. The stool is empire with a needlepoint top."

"The papier maché collection is French and most of it, I bought in Paris. In all, I probably have over 100 pieces. I started buying it for one of my customers, and got hooked myself. Most of mine is black, but I also have a few exceptional pieces of red, which is harder to find. I am always looking to upgrade or add to the collection."

"I bought a pair of these early Chinoiserie armchairs from a dealer in Atlanta. Kevin (a former partner) and I both wanted them, so we each took one ... so stupid to break up a pair. The chest is 19th century English. I loved the green inlaid shell design."
"The mirror is Italian, the black vase is one of a pair of Italian carved wooden alter vases, the lamp is new with a handmade shade ... love the chocolate brown color! And a few more pieces of papier maché."

"This French soldier is one of a collection by Capodimonte ... Napoleon and his generals. A few years ago I tried to buy them all at an auction and was outbid. So, I have been slowly buying them one by one ever since. I have 4 of the 12 ... do you see a pattern here? I obviously love the hunt."

The 6'-wide center hall runs front to back, over 30' long. "This is my favorite part of the house because it seems so extravagant. The same floor plan without the wide hallway was built several times in Hyde Park, but those houses have a TOTALLY different feel to them."

A front sitting room is light filled and furnished in pale tones: "The mirror is 19th c Venetian and was embellished with shells to cover the missing pieces. I bought it long before shells became all the rage. The sconces are 19th c French. I particularly like the silver leaf drops instead of prisms. I bought the rattan stool at a yard sale – the older it gets, the better I like it. The zebra rug, I bought in Denver 15 years ago ... it looks great everywhere."

In the dining room: "One of my friends who went to Paris with us calls the hole in the living room ceiling "my Paris apartment look." Since it looks like we will be replacing our entire a/c system (and not redoing the front of the house as planned) I have come to terms with it not being patched for a while, and now don't really notice it."


"The dining room chandelier was bought on my first trip to Paris. It hung in the store for a while, but needed a good deal of work, so I had it restored. It holds a lot of good memories for me of my first trip to Paris."

When the kitchen was scheduled to be remodeled, Carol pulled down the old wallpaper, had a party, and everyone signed, wrote and drew on the walls. The remodel was postponed, and the new "wallpaper" – which is frequently added to – is now quite a topic of conversation.

A guest room features, "a 19th c child's daybed that was in pieces when I bought it from a dealer in Tampa ... hundreds of dollars later, it is still one of my favorites. I have never seen another one that size, and many children have slept on it."

One of a pair of 19th c tole beds which were bought in Atlanta.

Another view of the center hall, looking toward the back of the house, and the master bedroom.

Carol's husband's office and library is more masculine than much of the house, and looks comfortable and well-used.

"The Empire secretary is the first major piece I ever bought. I had just graduated from college and was living in Memphis, Tennessee. My mother and I went to the Flea Market every month to look for things for my apartment. I fell in love with the grain of the wood and the way all of the cubby holes are shaped like tiny cathedral windows. She lent me the $300 to buy it saying "You're never sorry if you buy what you love. It's when you compromise that you regret it." Very wise woman and that is my motto to this day – buy what you love. I can still tell you everything I didn't buy and should have, and what I didn't pay for it. That secretary is the one item that has been in every place I have ever lived ... still love it."

Bookcases line an entire wall. "The library steps are vintage. I bought them in Atlanta to really use because we've always had a library with bookshelves to the ceiling."

The main bath features one of the clawfoot tubs that are original to the house. "They are cast iron and hold the heat like nobody's business ... and they are 6 feet long so you can really stretch out."

The red hall chair is reproduction Chinoiserie.

The master bedroom has a lovely view onto the back yard and pool area.
The bed is a reproduction, made from old wood, then handpainted. "I had originally bought a custom-made French king size bed from the 20's. The headboard was profusely carved with flowers and garlands. It was beautiful, but the carving was so deep that it hurt your head to lean against it. My husband HATED that bed and told me I could buy any bed I wanted if I got rid of it. Who could refuse that deal? So, I sold the French bed in the store and we picked out this one together. I never told him how much it cost ... he might have died. The matlasse coverlet is new, but is the same French blue as the transferware and toile in the room.

"The back hall had indoor/outdoor carpet when we bought the house and I wanted to add some pizazz to the space. It took me forever to find the tile and someone to lay it. This little old man came to do the job and almost left when I said I wanted it laid on the diagonal. After I had paid him, I realized that the pattern was not exactly straight. I didn't have the heart to call him back, and I doubt he would have shown up. So, I just put a rug down and pretended like it was fine."

The French look extends to the back patio area by the pool. "The pavers were one of the big selling points for us. That wicker chaise is THE most comfortable piece of furniture in the house. Again, I didn't pay much for it, but spent a small fortune getting it into usable shape. Joe and I both can lie on it at the same time and read. The iron console is an old French balcony with a top added. I used the arched shutters (bought at a junk shop) to break up that long wall."

A tall glass of iced tea, and a good book ... I think that chaise is calling.

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Take a look over at Chez Orleans, and enjoy listening to a song by France's first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

All photos by Topsy Turvy.

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