John and Mimi Herbert, both renowned for their work throughout the world, have created an artistic home in the Southside that reflects a lifetime of living and working abroad. Their treasures and experiences define the living space they have created in Chattanooga’s historic Clark Brothers Furniture Co. building.
John, originally an architect and a native of New Zealand, came to the United States to study urban planning at Berkeley in San Francisco. He and Mimi met at the University of Pennsylvania, where John was earning his Ph.D. and Mimi was in the South Asian Studies program. An urban planning specialist in developing countries, he and Mimi – whose artwork is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other national museums – headed abroad, working in Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Haiti, Brazil and El Salvador.
Most of the couple’s treasures were collected in Indonesia, where Mimi became immersed in Indonesian culture and folklore. During the five years that the Herberts lived in Indonesia, Mimi spent a great amount of time in villages with the famed Indonesian puppet masters and carvers. As a result of Mimi’s research with the puppet masters, she authored the book Voices of the Puppet Masters: The Wayang Golek Theater of Indonesia.
In tribute to Mimi’s work, a collection of colorful performance puppets are featured on an antique oak pharmacy table in the living area of the Herberts’ condo. Additionally, two Indonesian musical instruments – an important element in their puppet performances – are on display.
Before the Herberts moved to Chattanooga four years ago from the Washington, D.C., area, they used to visit Chattanooga to house sit for their friend Stroud Watson. They were drawn to Chattanooga’s thriving art community.
When they moved to Chattanooga, the couple chose a turn-of-the-century building that was being converted to condominiums at the corner of Market and Main streets, The Clark Centre. The condo was just a shell, with the original brick walls, wooden beamed ceilings and wooden flooring, when the Herberts first saw it.
John brought his architectural skills to the project and made some changes to the original floor plan. The brick walls, wooden ceilings and floors were kept intact to retain the commercial warehouse setting, but the interior design is now a mixture of Eastern and Western influences.
The main section of the two-bedroom condo’s open floor plan contains two sitting areas, a dining area and kitchen. John chose to keep the overhead ceiling ductwork and sprinkler system visible, but painted them black, which provides a contemporary contrast to the massive wood-beamed ceiling.
Throughout the home, contemporary furniture and interior design are combined with Asian and Indian antiques and decorative objects. Living areas are defined by Asian carpets, many of which were purchased at Indonesian auctions.
The dining area uses a juxtaposition of Chinese and Scandinavian furniture. Carved dining chairs with tasseled brocade seat cushions came from China and had been hidden during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. A bronze Javanese lamp hangs over a raised Javanese chest, complete with a secret lock.
The laundry room, located behind the kitchen, is in what was an old elevator shaft. The elevator’s old fashioned pull-down door still functions, but is now used to separate the kitchen and laundry rooms.
Just off the main living area is an office and library, as well as Mimi’s studio, which she says is “the best I’ve ever had.” Mimi says she has particularly enjoyed the placement of the studio in relation to light – natural daylight streams through the large windows, illuminating the studio while she works.
Mimi, who currently has some of her artwork on exhibit at Gallery 1401 on Williams Street in Chattanooga, works in various media, including prints, etchings and monotypes. A design motif that Mimi has often used is the American flag. She says her fondness for the American flag motif is a result of living abroad for so many years, which she believes made her more patriotic.
At the other end of the condo, a powder room and guest bedroom are accessed by two steps. Both the powder room and guest room have wooden columns that were part of the original warehouse. An overhead beam in the guest bedroom is still blackened with soot, evidence of a long-ago warehouse fire.
Since their condo is located on the top floor, the couple has turned the rooftop into a patio garden with trees, flowers and an outside dining area. When weather permits, two French doors in the living area open to make the outside and inside one continuous space.
As much as they have enjoyed their four years in Chattanooga, John and Mimi are planning to move to California to be closer to their two daughters and about five hours closer to New Zealand. Their condo is currently on the market and is offered by Linda Brock of PrudentialRealityCenter.com.
John says he has been very impressed with the development of the Southside, downtown Chattanooga, the Riverfront and NorthShore. He has been particularly impressed with Renaissance Park and Coolidge Park, which he says is “one of the best small urban parks I have seen in the world.” John and Mimi both hope artists will continue to enjoy Chattanooga’s art district and downtown living as much as they have.