Chip Pankey
This wonderful living room has all the bells and whistles that showcase the iconic Scottish country house look — tartans, oil paintings, leather furniture, books, and bronzes.
Miles Mason Sr. is a divorce lawyer, founder of the Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC, a nationally recognized public speaker, and the author of four books on divorce. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Sharon, and the father of three grown children, Anne, Miles, and Abigail and is especially proud of home and hearth. Mason has created what feels like a Scottish country home within the confines of his gated community, and I now call him “the laird” (lord) of East Memphis.
Chip Pankey
Miles and Sharon Mason relax at home with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Islay, and pug, Winston.
In contrast to the trials and tribulations he encounters in his professional life, Mason says his love of design reflects a desire “to control the home environment by creating warmth and comfort.” His decorative esthetic has been guided by his family love of travel, especially to places with historical significance. In particular, a 50th birthday trip for his wife to Scotland triggered an intense romance with the Highlands and the treasures associated with Scottish life.
The couple visited every art gallery they could find, searching for “authentic” Scottish landscape paintings. One of their first purchases was a large painting by Peter Graham dating to 1891 and a contemporary landscape by John Bathgate, who works on the Isle of Skye. Once back stateside, the family began to collect more and more traditional Scottish decorative elements — antlers, weaponry, antique crystal decanters, bronze statuary, traditional wood and leather furniture, and of course the colorful iconic tartans.
The baronial living room (above) of the home encapsulates everything that the Masons hoped to achieve. Oil paintings and antiques create the perfect surroundings for the enjoyment of whiskey, cigars, and a good book in front of a roaring fire. The rich teal blue of the walls and carpets from the Oriental Rug House lend a richness and a depth to the decor. Mason gives credit to his talented interior designer, Rhonda Garvey, who “skillfully took our dream of a Robert Adam-designed room, unified the elements, and made a warm and handsome space that is also playfully dramatic.”
Chip Pankey
The dining room features inherited antique furniture and framed family photographs on the walls.
Mason also praises the guidance and taste of Memphis’ own Millicent Creech, noting he “has ventured into many antique stores over the last 30 years both here and abroad and has found none equal to hers.” Traveling a bit farther afield, while vacationing in Sedona, Arizona, the Masons discovered Colorado bronze artist Jim Gilmore and acquired his bronze sculptures of a moose and a bison. In an auction, Mason won a large, impressive bronze bust of Winston Churchill, which is of course the perfect touch in a “cigar and whiskey room.” The imposing chandelier from Fourteenth Colony Lighting in Memphis reinforces “the castle look.”
Chip Pankey
Mason discovered over time many pieces online, which include vintage Baker side tables and chairs and Black Forest deer skull mounted trophies. Francie Potts with Southern Upholstery upholstered the furniture with fabric from Fabrications. In the knowledge that historical swords are displayed in Scottish homes, Mason and his wife decided to get the same and perhaps more appropriate effect by including several vintage American swords.
Chip Pankey
The home’s elegant entry hall with its tall case clock, romantic oil landscapes, and framed family crest set the Old World tone for the Mason family’s style.
In conclusion, I must let you in on a little secret about the Mason family which I found to be, well, a wee bit whimsical. They may be admirers of the Scottish countryside and old world décor, but they are also huge fans of the Magic Kingdom, which is to say Disney. They have vacationed in Disney theme parks every year — more than 15 times and there are Disney touches all through the house. As Mason likes to say, “We ride rides!”
