Personal Style: East West Essence

+ Story by Alisan Peters
+ Photography by David Agnello

Heidi Davies and Michael Miller transform the historic yet neglected space above their Davies Reid home furnishing store into their own expression of urban Jackson Hole living.

Patinaed fittings add interest and flair to Heidi Davies' refurbished tub.

If it weren't for the leather and metal stools along the bar in the store, you’d never know you were in a structure that used to be Jackson's oldest drug store. And if it weren’t for the view from the casement windows in the warm, intimate dining area

apartment upstairs, you’d never know you were living above Jackson's Town Square. The stools are now part of the ambiance of the Davies Reid home furnishings store, above which live Heidi Davies, Michael Miller and their two boys, Tashi and Khyber. Their ability to mix old with new gives their home a unique personal flavor.

Entering the Davies Reid store provides a mental expedition back to the tribal era of eastern Asia. Ancient spice pots and gemstone-laden jewelry rest alongside mountains of finely hued rugs. But the home upstairs is more like a bohemian jaunt to 1930s-era Paris. Richly colored and packed with found and treasured objects, elegant fabrics and Heidi’s original artworks, a languid grace infuses this unusual home in the heart of downtown Jackson.

Fashioned from a rabbit warren of doctor's offices and drafting studios, the 2,500 sq. ft. living space has been remodeled to provide bedrooms for the two boys as well as a master suite for the couple. Wood beams rise from a gleaming maple floor that emerged when the couple tore out three layers of linoleum. The beams support the roof as well as accent a stamped tin ceiling. New double-paned casement windows keep noise that cat contemplates a soak in the sink

that cat contemplates a soak in the sink

at bay while providing delicious views of the heart of downtown and Snow King’s ski runs. And the living and kitchen areas offer ample yet intimate mingling space, fitted with cushy chairs and an inviting daybed. Their kitchen island brims with fresh herbs and interesting spices—it was rehabbed from an old oak counter found in the basement. And pine shelving from a long-ago kitchen (the structure was originally a boarding house) was repurposed as flooring for the master bath.

That bath is another miniature world, one with a smooth, rock-floored shower and a re-enameled claw-foot tub. Since the walls are lath and plaster, bringing electricity up to code meant that the walls remain sealed. The creative craftsmen Heidi employed for this task embraced the challenge, and the resulting surface-mounted runs of patinaed fittings add artistic whimsey to the room.

Heidi describes her style as eclectic and tactile. "I have what I love and let that value become the theme," she says. Behind her hang vintage velvet draperies from France. A shearling rug is underfoot and a chenille throw on the daybed tugs this visitor toward full-on lounging. Heidi couldn’t be happier. "When people walk in, I want them to take their shoes off, accept a glass of wine and enjoy the ambiance of the place—and the friendship."