He doesn't look much like a revolutionary. He's too cleancut, polite, well-spoken.

    But, let's face it, Biggs Powell might as well be marching in the streets, considering his forward-thinking design concepts and the potential they have for changing the look of Memphis interiors. And it's about time, say many who have seen enough English-inspired rooms to last a lifetime. A favorite of generations of Memphians, English style has it's place, of course. But some think that a little diversity might help to liven up the scene.

    Enter Biggs Powell.

    You know there's a new kind of spirit in town the minute you walk into Powell's midtown shop, a 1920s-era home that he gutted and reconstructed, complete with crown moldings, baseboard and period mantels. The first thing you notice is the exuberant wall color—a celery green in one room, a Billy Baldwin-inspired chocolate brown in another; one room even sports orange—we're talking tangerine, people—and the impact is startling. But because of the 11 ½-foot ceilings, the bold crown molding and woodwork—all done in pristine white—the bright colors are kept in check. The space is more than a shop; it's sort of a laboratory where Powell can experiment not only with color but with furniture and objects.

    Powell loves French design, not the formal Louis Whatever or the bucolic country stlye, but between-the-wars and beyond glamorous French (1920s through 1960s)—startling in it's creativity, beautifully crafted and imaginatively designed. This is a daring, dramatic style created by people who lived through The War to End All Wars and were determined to build a different world for themselves—with it's own distinctive look.

    On one wall sits a Louie Philippe walnut chest of drawers, circa 1860. Nothing revolutionary there, you say to yourself. but atop it are a pair of French onyx-based lamps, probably from the 1930s along with another pair of reproduction lamps with conch-shapes and arms covered with coral-like detail. There's also a pair of blue glass candlesticks from West Virginia that date from the turn of the twentieth century. And, above it all, the finishing touch: a Carroll Cloar pencil sketch from 1978.

    Not a predictable mix, needless to say. But somehow, it all works.And it works because Powell's eye searches out good design—from whatever period in history—and mixes it judiciously. The result is fresh and imaginative.

    "It's all about textures, shapes and forms," Powell explains. "Having something unique and making it all work." He says he prefers French design because it's "quirkier." The French, he says, "put a spin on things that's more romantic, free and interesting."

    For a young man (he's 32) with sophisticated taste, Powell is remarkably easy-going and self-effacing, yet very much to-the-point when he talks about his favorite subject. A good interior, he says, should be "all about the comfort, efficiency and practicality." He says that so many spaces can "look great", but you may question "Does anyone actually live in that space?" The challenge is for a designer, he explains, is to make it look good but still be livable, especially considering the hectic, fast-paced world we live in today.

    This Memphis native was educated at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal School and later, Trinity-Pawling, a prep school in New York State. At Ole Miss he became a history major because, he says, at that point, he didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life. He flirted with becoming a business major, but that lasted "for about a day" in his words.

    After college, things still weren't clicking as to a career choice, so for three months he travelled with friends in Europe. He knew by then he was fascinated by architecture and antiques, but, as he explains, he wasn't particularly interested in studying either topic. Slowly, he began to realize that it was the mix of architecture, antiques and objects in general that fascinated him.

    For a short time he worked at a local interior design firm, doing errands and making deliveries, just to get a feel for the business. He moved to Atlanta for two years to study interior design at the American College of Art, during which time he also got married, then divorced, and obtained a bachelor of arts degree.

    After moving back to Memphis, he worked with veteran designer Roland Gerhardt until he decided he wanted to do something on his own.

    For months, Powell searched for the right location for his business and found it on a midtown street between Union and Madison. To say that the house needed work was an understatement. So what followed was a nine-month renovation in which even the exterior walls were stripped down to bare wood. Now the clapboards are painted a dark olive green and the building features new louvered mahogany shutters and a front door of the same material.

    Biggs Powell is open for business.