Visually stimulating is a vast understatement.
When I got the description of this house in an assignment from the Statesman, my imagination went crazy trying to anticipate what I would see. “A carnival of wonders” was written on the photo request – “a hall of mirrors, theatrical dressing room, etc.” What? Is this some kind of ironic photo joke? Would I get there and actually find something lackluster and boring? Nope, it was even better than it sounds.
When I got to the home of Edward Povey and DL Tolar, I walked around the outside a bit before entering. From the outside the house looked like a very nice stucco home in the hill country.
Then I came inside.
Povey and Tolar greeted me, each wearing a tuxedo, and were more than welcoming. Actually, they might have been the most welcoming people I’ve ever photographed. They gave me a tour and as we walked through room by room, I began to realize just how unique this place really is. For starters, everything was lit with theater lighting – colored gels over track lights.
They seemed most at home in the kitchen, which they called sort of a social hub. They entertain quite a bit with themed parties that last well in to the night. Evidence of that is found all over the house in the form of confetti speckling the living room floor and masks, scarves and other costume items hanging from lamps and chandeliers.
They designed and decorated the house to suit their needs. They have two large artist studios, one for each of them, with plenty of room to work. Povey is Welsh and has a great reputation for murals and sculptures. Tolar mostly paints on canvas, but occasionally experiments with other mediums.
One thing the couple shares is a love for old movies. They have a large media room up stairs decorated in vintage deep red and gold. They were playing a silent movie when I arrived.
Just outside the media room is the periscope hallway. It’s designed with mirrors to work like a large periscope to see people around two right-angled corners.
Down stairs there is a guest bathroom decorated to be a theatrical dressing room. It is wallpapered with pages from an old script and ticket stubs, old photos and costume fragments are mounted on the walls.
Theatrical is probably the best way to describe this couple’s life style. They definitely have a joie de vivre.
Here’s the story in today’s Austin American Statesman: http://bit.ly/9JjUuT
And here’s a slide show with more images: http://bit.ly/cl5ZRK