Furlow

It's a name that you may not have heard recently.  However, Furlow Gatewood is known in the design idnustry as a master of the design domain.  Partnering with John Rosselli almost fifty years ago, Furlow was a principal in the famous John Rosselli International in New York City.  Following many years of New York City life, Furlow moved back to the small rural community of Americus in his native Gerogia a few years ago, where he has joined urban chic with beautiful southern rural surroundings to create a magical home which he enjoys with his peacocks and dogs.  The picture below on the cover of this month's Veranda magazine is just one example of the latest product of his exquisite talent.

As revealed by the other pictures below, Furlow's flair for creating custom painted finishes and collecting and utilizing decorative objects, both traditional and esoteric, is superb.  He clearly possesses a great sense of proportion and scale which he incorporates throughout his home.  As an example of Furlow's creativity, the wooden floors of this cottage house were probably worn out with age, so he designed a modern brushstroke pattern in subtle hues to be painted on the floor in place of a rug.

In another example of how design genius can make a difference, notice how the mirrored doors in this photo of the breakfast room are outlined in a dark grey finish to make this small room seem twice as big.

The eclectic mix of Indian batik pillows and delft blue porcelain, along with English, Swedish, and French furnishings, exemplify the talent it takes to make these styles work together.

As an Americus native myself, my occasional visits with Furlow - with my mother when I was younger, contributed to my ambition to seek out the bright lights of New York.  With Furlow's help and the gracious generosity of John Rosselli, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to begin my career at John Rosselli International.  Furlow, John, and the marvelous Bunny Williams remain close friends, and John and Bunny are often guests at Furlow's enchanting digs in Americus.  Furlow (at a very young ninety years old) and John & Bunny continue to travel the world in search of inspiration and to hunt for that unique find that makes a room so special.

Furlow's beautiful creation in Americus is a treasure that only adds to the beauty of the natural setting of this wonderful area of the country.  This home confirms my belief that the sophistication of New York can be transported to enhance the style of any place, just as Furlow proved throughout his career that the beauty of other places can be transported to New York to add to its flair.