Text by Hannah Jones
Beth Meadows never planned on becoming a collector—but she has always been one. “I don’t recall making a conscious decision to start a collection,” she says. “I did, however, choose and ask to be given silver flatware when I was a teen.” And, thus, a collector was born.
Over the years, Beth has added to her silver flatware with the likes of Staffordshire, majolica, and more, and her home is proof. Every room holds at least one timeworn treasure—but, most likely, many more. In her dining room, a set of majolica dishes are on display above a silver bottle chiller that holds horn-handled utensils, and the buffet they sit atop holds even more. Corner cabinets bought at an antiques shop in Savannah, Georgia, display silver that dates back decades. “When my husband, Bill, and I married in the ’60s, silver pieces were traditional wedding gifts,” she explains. “Despite the polishing it demands, I love the richness and gleam of silver, so I display it.”
In the open-concept living room and kitchen, Beth merged her collectibles with contemporary aesthetic, which she attributes to both planning and happenstance. After living in two apartments, building three houses, and owning both a beach condo and a river cabin, Beth says they had to make choices about what to bring into this home. “It wasn’t that difficult,” she says. “I just picked out the items that I knew I would love to live with.” Among these items are her beloved Staffordshire dogs, which you’ll find throughout the living room, and a gorgeous gold Federalist-style mirror above the stately fireplace.
The kitchen was a top priority when designing the layout of the home, as it is usually the room guests enter first thanks to the porte cochere on the side of the house. “When I designed the space, I wanted the area to welcome and maybe wow but not shock,” she says. A subdued palette of white cabinetry and a subway tile backsplash keeps the space open, airy, and clean. For the countertops, Beth went with a slightly contrasting marble, with beautiful deep gray striations against a cream background. Since she loves to cook and entertain family and friends, Beth also chose high-functioning appliances, like her Wolf range and Sub-Zero refrigerator.
Though the home is a new build, it’s teeming with history and a passion for antiques. If the walls could talk, they’d have stories to tell from the various pieces that call the house home. But Beth likes to think of her collections not in the past sense but in the future. “Simply put,” she says, “my home is filled with items and objects bought, bequeathed, beloved, and, therefore, very much worth handing down.”
