Building on tradition: fond memories of a childhood home inspire the creation of a new family dwelling in the same grand style.

IF a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, then I might as well quit writing right now and just invite you to look at the photographs of Kate and Michael Heard's intricately detailed, lavishly accessorized house. But as lush as the visuals are, a bit of back-story-telling is still in order, For, dreamy as it is, this is no ordinary dreamhouse. This place is a faithful homage to Kate's childhood home, the Sykes Place Plantation outside Columbus. The original old house, lovingly and vibrantly decorated by Kate's mother, no longer stands, but its spirit lives on--deep in the countryside of Madison County.

Kate Heard's mother was the late Patricia Carson, a lively and innovative interior designer and artist who had a passion for fine muted neutral textiles, wild jungle prints, and collectible antiques. Many of the items from her original domestic interior are now not possible to acquire--real zebra rugs, exquisite elephant-tusk carvings, even gazelle-hoof inkstands.

Kate's father was Saunders Billups Carson, heir to the large plantation that had been in his family since 1835. He was a dedicated outdoorsman and sportsman, so his wife's tastes in natural materials was a gracious complement. Elegance and blood sports met in unexpected harmony, as in many good marriages.

Sykes Place house was put together from two earlier structures and designed by Vicksburg architect S.J. Tuminello. Decades later, after Saunders passed away, the farm was sold and the old house was torn down, but Kate Carson Heard wasn't ready to let go. She inherited all her parents' lovely antiques, but she wanted more; she wanted the true feeling of her parents' carefully crafted family dwelling.

So, when Kate and husband Michael decided to build their country house, they decided that replicating her parents' house was a good place to start--with modifications. Heard asked builder Jim Butler to help her bring together her childhood memories and her adult desire for a workable family house on a 15-acre plot of land in Madison County. The house would need to be functional for the entire family--including sons Andrew and Sykes--as well as beautiful.

"We didn't really have a house plan to work from," admits Kate. "I had photographs from my parents' house, and we reproduced the front rooms as much to scale as possible."

The result was an entry hall, dining room, and large formal sitting room that are virtually identical to those at Sykes Place Plantation. The pickled cypress-paneled walls of the formal sitting room, the graceful keystone-arched openings, and the high ceilings bear a ghostly resemblance to the photographs of the original Carson house, as featured in Veranda and Architectural Digest magazines years ago.

Entering the foyer, with its tassel-print leaf-green wallcovering, visitors immediately prepare for a formal reception. To the left is a grand salon that features gilt-framed oil portraits of long-deceased relatives, a huge paneled fireplace wall, silk-covered divans and bergeres, and enough tiny embroidered pillows and bibelots to sink a ship--at least, a ship like the Normandie.

The dining room, to the foyer's right, is truly designed in the grand manner--a blind-arched mirrored wall to reflect the space, gorgeous antiques, and a beautiful Neoclassical chandelier to illuminate it all.

In the rest of the house, Kate's passion for details and tradition sparked a design built around the family antiques that would be featured in each room. Each treasured piece had been carefully measured, and the modern room plans were shifted and adjusted to display this furniture just so, as well as to mesh with the three replica rooms. "It was like putting together a puzzle," Kate says.

Since Patricia Carson had been an artist as well as a designer--she took up painting in later life and brought her instincts for color and form to the canvas--Kate has honored her mother's memory by including several of Carson's paintings, while adding her own touches to the home.

The family quarters, used everyday by Kate and her menfolk, reflect more of her own sensibility. A huge den, which opens comfortably to an octagonal breakfast room and a big cook-friendly kitchen, carry out a "jungle" theme. Zebra rugs, a large deer statuette, and natural muted hues set the tone, assisted by faux-leopard and suede sofa pillows. Maize-hued walls provide an ideal backdrop in the combined living areas.

The latte-painted hallway that leads to the master and guest wing is no throwaway passage--it contains a pretty settee, tables filled with books, and lovely oil paintings. This is a good example of Kate's style and use of her inherited possessions: nothing goes to waste, everything is displayed, and the overall result is an exuberant abundance of riches, small and large. From tiny tortoise-shell boxes to huge 18th-century case pieces, all the family treasures come together to produce a warm, eclectic country effect.

The guest bedroom is an exquisite jewel of comfort and elegance. A lit a la polonaise canopy in flesh-toned raw silk on the antique chinoiserie-enameled iron four-poster bed sets the tone for elegance in the beautifully neutral-hued room. An adjoining guest bath is a dream of simple luxury, with ample storage and dressing space.

The master suite is a study in deep greens and animal prints, echoing the themes of the principle rooms. From this room, Kate and Michael enjoy a sweeping view of a rear meadow where nine Tennessee Walking horses--more reminders of Kate's childhood on the farm--graze contentedly.

On the opposite side of the house, around the corner from the elaborate kitchen, the two teenage boys have their own private quarters. Here, Victorian high beds and desks co-exist in harmony with mementos of Andrew and Sykes' adolescent interests and accomplishments.

"It's really important to me to preserve my home and these family treasures for our boys," Kate says.

All in all, one must appreciate the Heard farm in historical context. Even though it was completed only four years ago, its roots go much further back in time. The artwork, the furnishings, and even the smallest accessories hark back to another house, another era. And while to us it may all appear as a beautiful, well-orchestrated, eclectic interior, to Kate Carson Heard, it resonates of home. Past and present.

FOUR FAMILY DESIGN TIPS

1. Have mirrors cut for the tops of end tables or round skirted tables. Use aged mirrors if they are available. Not only does the mirror protect the fabric on the table or the antique finishes, it also reflects the objects placed on top, creating a beautiful visual image.

2. Fringe is not just for window treatments. Add fringe to lampshades, pillows, and the skirts of sofas and chairs, Beautiful trimmings add luxury to a space and demonstrate the attention to detail that is typically expected only from a designer's touch.

3. A wonderful antique iron gate makes a great potholder above an island in the kitchen. Try using old iron pieces and architectural elements for coffee tables and end tables as well. The combination of rustic with finer objects creates a wonderful feel in an eclectic home.

4. Create animal-print candles (right) with just a touch of gold, black, and brown umber paint. The effect in the whole room is amazing. For tall tapers, begin with taupe- or cream-colored tapers and simply brush on random small dots in brown umber and shiny gold acrylic paint. For pillar candles, begin with gold-colored pillars and add four or five dot flower-like patterns randomly placed on the candle. This look blends in beautifully with any decor.