Mary Engelbreit Home Companion- A Room of Her Own


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Text by Tony DiMartino • Styling by Kathy Curotto and Cheryl Rogers

The space over the garage wasn’t a pretty sight when Elizabeth Spitler first laid eyes on it in 1998.

“A previous owner had broken it up into two dark, tiny rooms with dropped ceilings and an indoor staircase that led to the garage,” she recalls. “Even so, I remember thinking, ‘Boy, I’d really like to fix this up for myself, maybe turn it into a studio where I could do some painting.’”

At the time, she was too busy running after her toddler son to give it a second thought. But three years ago, with help from her husband, a design-wise friend, and a talented local handyman, she finally got around to making it happen.

(a) My husband, Downs, found these windows for me at the dump. They came from a demolished building. They open the whole place up, don’t you think?” The dining area features terrarium centerpieces created by Bloom, a Tampa florist. “I love inviting nature in.” A few of Elizabeth’s favorite collectibles grace the table, including rattan-bottomed plates, Italian pottery dishes, vintage linen napkins, and old monogrammed silver from a flea market. (b) One of Elizabeth’s paintings. “The table came from Macy’s prop sale; (c) the bench we got from a junk dealer.”

“I enjoy putting things together in unexpected ways.” (d) A breakfront is actually two separate pieces—a repainted family heirloom with carved doors and a newer addition made from a window. Painting at left by Elizabeth’s mom, Peggy Johnson. The velvet chair was a flea-market steal. “The upholstery was stained, so I gessoed it and slapped on a coat of regular wall paint. It’s a little stiff, but it works.” She topped a wrought-iron garden table with a slab of cut-to-fit marble. (e) Flea-market sconces from Italy. An ironstone bowl with hand-blown glass grapes and coral. A scrap of hand-crocheted trim.

(f) For a bulletin board, Elizabeth stapled fabric to a painter’s canvas and added vintage sample cards of European fringe. The desk and chair are junk-store treasures. (g) An old box filled with watchmaker’s envelopes cost $1. “It’s just for show. The pattern created by the envelopes caught my eye.”

The stairway, Elizabeth decided, had to go. “It took up too much room and divided the place in two.” The contractor moved it to the exterior, then tore down the walls, raised the ceilings, and added new windows. In just three months, a cramped, useless space was transformed into an airy refuge. “We did it on a tight budget, too!” she says proudly.

Before she set up her studio, she painted the walls, floor, and ceiling white. “It made the whole place seem like a blank canvas. Today, it’s constantly evolving. I shuffle things around and add new touches with the seasons. I think of it as a kind of lab where I can express myself creatively and experiment with decorating ideas I’d never try in the house, which is more formal.”

(h) A shoe rack and a French daybed, both piled with mostly vintage linens. “I like anything that’s fringed and monogrammed.” The daybed, bought for her son’s nursery, is one of a pair. “The dealer couldn’t bear to break up the set, so he sold me both beds. I use the other one as a sofa in our living room.” The tan mattress cover is actually a tablecloth.

Quiet! Artist at work. (i) Elizabeth displays her paints and brushes on a battered ladder. The white-enameled stool, complete with an adjustable seat, came from a doctor’s office. All paintings by Elizabeth. (j) “I collect old books, especially ones with gold trim.” (k) This dish, made from a seashell, holds beads and a tiny crystal ball from a chandelier.

(l) Flea-market shutters form a backdrop for graceful antique bottles and a round, hand-carved mirror frame. Even a casual snack tastes better when served with vintage silver and fringed linen napkins.
“ My friends and I hit the flea markets whenever we need inspiration. We like buying old things and using them for new purposes.” (m) The kitchen area houses everything from French architectural pieces to Elizabeth’s collection of magazines, stored on a recovered ottoman. “I keep meaning to file everything, but I never seem to find the time.” (n) An old art box filled with oil paints. “I collect vintage art supplies and instruction cards.” (o) Art supplies, old and new.

Twice a week, Elizabeth takes all-day art classes; the rest of the week, you’ll find her rendering landscapes and figure studies in acrylic paints. When she’s not painting, she’s sewing (she made the blue-and-white check pillow on the daybed, (p) for example). “My mother, who was also an artist, taught me how to sew and cook. I get as much creative satisfaction from those activities as I do from painting,” the Alabama-born artist says in her gentle drawl.

She also relishes flea marketing with friends, one of whom helped her decorate the studio. “We enjoy the hunting-and- gathering process. It’s fun to turn cast-off bits and pieces into something useful
or decorative.”

When the renovation was complete, she christened the space the Raised Cottage, “not just because it’s on the second floor, but because it raises my spirits whenever I walk through the door. It’s such an inspiring retreat.”

(q) “I love this shot!” Downs, Elizabeth, and Downs IV, age 10, relax on the porch. (r) A box of speckled robins’ eggs and a paperwhite bulb share space on her desk.