The front entrance is tucked along the side of the house. Cropped horsetail reeds make a handsome addition to the beddings.
Plenty of old bungalows and Queen Anne cottages line streets in the heart of Midtown. But on occasion, more modern digs arrive — houses that march to the beat of a different drummer. Such is the home of two creative locals who have put their own spin on the place.
Ellen and Jon Hornyak
Instead of boasting a big front porch like its neighbors, the home’s entry is a more private affair. It is tucked along the side of the house, creating a sense of intrigue as guests approach. They pass several sculptures, among them an outstretched hand, but these only hint at what awaits within.
Step through the looking glass and the subdued exterior gives way to a vibrant home rich in color. Abstract paintings by Memphis artists Ephraim Urevbu and Mary Long, George Hunt and Jeanne Seagle hang on the walls. Occasional tables are arranged with playful painted pots and shelves are lined with sexy bits of blown glass. The house’s owners, Ellen and Jon Hornyak, have a passion for the arts, and it’s on display at every turn.
Ellen is a native Memphian, an avid art collector, and a popular stylist at Juve Salon Spa. Jon came from Caruthersville, Missouri, in 1967 with an academic scholarship to Memphis State. When he realized pre-med wasn’t a fit, he pursued a degree in political science instead.
“But it was like I had a dual major,” Jon says, “because I was gigging and playing music on the weekends.”
In 1994, he became the first executive director of the Recording Academy’s Memphis chapter — the national organization that produces the Grammys. He led the chapter for 31 years, helping to develop the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi, before retiring last year. (For more on Jon, see our Local Treasures profile that ran in the April 2026 issue.)
The couple’s Mid-Century Modern decor features several chairs by Danish modernist Jens Risom.
Creating a Vision
The Hornyaks found their house 28 years ago, back when it belonged to friends of theirs, Lee and Annie Schaefer. It was designed by Spencer Allen Armour III, a graduate of Central High School and the University of Miami’s School of Architecture. He worked as a principal with Hill-Armour, creating residential and commercial buildings in Memphis. But this house, completed in 1989, had the distinction of being his first. Armour built it for his friend, Bill Appling, who lived nearby and wanted a new home close to downtown. The sale of a nearby lot filled the bill.
George Hunt’s portrait of Mississippi bluesman John Hurt.
Since Jon worked downtown, the couple’s original plan was to build a contemporary home on the South Bluffs. But that project proved too costly, and when they learned the Schaefers were moving to California, “their house was the only one Ellen wanted,” says Jon. “She fell in love and had a vision to make it ours.” Although it meant weathering a tense bidding war, the couple prevailed and in 1999 moved into their forever home.
Although the home’s footprint is modest, at 1,350 square feet, the living room’s soaring 16-foot ceilings give it the “wow” factor. Transom windows are used throughout the house — over French doors, above the kitchen sink, and just below the living room ceiling — offering both light and privacy.
A living room closet was remodeled into a bar with shelving. The kitchen sports sleek quartz countertops.
“Those beautiful transom windows mean we seldom have to turn on a lamp during the day, since the house is just flooded with light,” says Ellen.
The couple’s living room is furnished in Mid-Century Modern decor, much of which they purchased at Flashback, Midtown’s vintage store. Most impressive are two handsome Jens Risom chairs, the modernist from Denmark who’s often credited with introducing this design style to the U.S.
A rolled-paper sculpture by Brantley Ellzey
However, the room’s unassuming star is a 94-inch low-slung couch with slender wooden legs that Ellen saw advertised on Next Door for $45. At the time it was clad in a rather dowdy, tufted beige brocade that was better suited to a granny flat than a groovy one. But Ellen sensed its potential. She sent a photo to her upholsterer, “Am I crazy? I think it’s got good bones!” Once the brocade was replaced with flat-black pleather, the couch’s clean lines became apparent. Now, she says, “It’s our forever couch.”
On the east wall of the living room hangs a life-sized painting of the original 1959 brunette Barbie created by Carol Robison. This fun pop icon garners attention from guests. “A lot of people have requested that painting,” Ellen says. “It was done for a Linda McCartney show at the Brooks.”
Early on, Ellen helped to collect artwork for the museum’s fundraiser and approached art dealer Jay Etkin about donating some pieces. The Brooklynite quickly schooled her, saying artists should receive renumeration in return for their work. “I was a bit embarrassed at the time,” she says. “But it was also a lesson learned.” And the two became friends.
The living room flows easily into the home’s stylish kitchen.
Building a Collection
Ellen started collecting art years ago. “I bought my first piece when I was 27 from a student at the Memphis College of Art.” That purchase sparked a love affair that would lead to volunteering at the Brooks Museum of Art and River Arts Fest, where she served as a board member for many years. Today she works alongside Michelle Repass, providing hospitality for festival artists. Many pieces in their home came from artists she discovered at the show.
A mod dining room set made by Heywood-Wakefield of Massachusetts.
Step into the black guest bathroom and you’ll see watercolor portraits by Jeanne Seagle, a stacked arrangement Ellen calls her “totem pole of humanity.” It turns heads, much like the playful 3D holographic lenticular print produced by artist Michael Brown that winks as you walk past.
Indeed, black is the home’s through-line. Ellen is drawn to work that piques your curiosity: a bowl made of nails, a large jumble of metal paper clips, mod black lamps and organic pottery vases, some found on the Italian website, frankbros.
She is also known for her adventurous cooking. Peek inside the kitchen pantry and visitors will discover some 50 cookbooks. “I read cookbooks like other people read novels!” Ellen says with a laugh.
The master bedroom’s oculus window creates an ever-changing image.
While the kitchen was stylishly designed, she soon realized the pitiful little electric stove was a no-go. Jon’s response was predictably prudent: “Let’s wait a minute and think this through.” The eventual solution was to run a gas line from the living room fireplace to the kitchen, enabling the installation of a four-burner Wolf stove. They also swapped out laminate countertops for sleek, white quartz, material better suited to the home’s modern aesthetic.
The Hornyaks’ interests are reflected throughout the house. One closet that creates a wall between the kitchen and dining area holds their vast CD collection. Jon received many as part of his job. But once he purchased a turntable, Ellen winnowed down her own musical trove of jazz and pop to make way for his growing LP collection of classic rock and soul.
“At this point, we don’t have to worry about downsizing,” notes Jon. “Every bit of this house is used.”
The patio space features black pots filled with variegated plants.
Jon’s sun-drenched office on the south end of the house is where he keeps his ukuleles, guitars, and music library. He helped found the Memphis Ukulele Band at Sun Studio in 2016 and enjoys reading Beatles biographies. “Seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show as a kid is what led me to start a band,” Jon says. He had the good fortune to meet John Lennon’s half-sister, Julia Baird, who gave him a private tour of the Cavern Club in Liverpool, the gritty warehouse cellar where the Beatles played before making their American debut. And he struck up a friendship with the award-winning engineer, Geoff Emerick, Abbey Road’s innovative sound man who received several Grammys for his work on the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper albums.
At the opposite end of Jon’s office is the couple’s master bedroom, where an oculus window commands attention. Evidently, the original owner had a passion for pirates. “And I guess the porthole was an homage,” says Ellen with a wink.
Given the bold interior, Ellen goes more Zen in the garden. The leafy patio features Santorini chairs and black pots filled with lush, variegated plants. Their space, along with others in the Lenox neighborhood, will be open to the public during the Experience Memphis Gardens tours in June. The picturesque garden and its location is the perfect setting for this modern couple.
“We’re definitely Midtowners,” the Hornyaks agree. “There’s no place we’d rather be.”
