This Christmas tree design created by Wilson Lovett complements the antique chairs and drapes in Merrehope ’ s downstairs parlor . The tree was featured on a past cover of the Our South magazine , highlighting Merrehope ’ s annual Trees of Christmas tour .
one-of-a-kind feel .
The Webb home was designed for entertaining , and Lovett gave them a large serpentine sectional in the living room and a revolving glass dining table lit by neon lights . The table was elevated by an orange tile pedestal in the circular dining area , according to an article in the July / August 1978 edition of Residential Interiors trade magazine .
The home , Lovett said , had a very contemporary 1970s style . Besides the Residential Interiors feature , the house picked up some design awards for Lovett . His custom designs for furnishings , including rugs , were prominently featured in ads for some of the manufacturers , he said .
The project was a good start for a young designer just finishing college and looking to begin a career , Lovett said .
Wilson Lovett looks through photos in his portfolio of a Meridian house he was commissioned to do the residential design work on in the early 1970s .
For the next several years , he picked up renovation and interior design jobs for a number of local residents , as well as historic homes in Meridian , Macon and the Garden District of New Orleans .
By the early 1980s , he relocated to Laguna Beach , California , the heart of contemporary design at the time , where he set up shop as an architectural interior designer . He said he worked with Fred Briggs , one of the top architects in the Laguna Beach area , and created custom-designed furnishings , art , graphics and lighting for numerous residences and condos , including a four-level ocean front design in Laguna Beach . He said he was known for his ultra-contemporary residential style and his trademark use of color in prominent homes up and down the coastline of southern California . “ I enjoyed designing in a region where my work was well accepted and appreciated ,” he said .
Now retired , Lovett eventually returned home to Meridian where he works for Merrehope part time , helping with tours . He still paints custom abstract art pieces and occasionally takes on design projects . In 2020 , he took on a project to re-design a 1930 art decor residence for a Meridian family and in 2022 he designed a contemporary solarium for another Meridian resident featuring white-on-white interior features , white marble flooring with glazed white walls and a suspended plum ceiling .
Despite his work in California , Lovett said his three favorite projects he worked on were in his hometown : the Webb home ; a 1979 architectural , interior and graphic landscape design of a contemporary residence in Meridian ; and the 2020 art deco design project .
“ Three of my special houses I did are in Meridian ,” he said . M
22 • MERIDIAN LIFE