Published: August 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Kim Hassold
EDITOR

Photo galleries:
TALK at home with Selena Riddle (07/22/10)

The dining room is punctuated by arches, as are most of the rooms in the house. Riddle says being able to see from room to room makes the home look larger. (OWEN RILEY JR./Staff)

To visit designer Selena Riddle in either of the homes she so lovingly decorated is to take a trip down a river of imagination, albeit two very different rivers.

The bed and nightstands located in the master bedroom were purchased from designer Jimmy Huff. This line was made for only two hears and Huff made only six sets per year. (OWEN RILEY JR./Staff)

Riddle, owner of Elegant Environments, allowed us to visit her in both places. The larger space is based on a garden theme, every inch of the 5,600 square feet decorated with unique furnishings and art collected for over 20 years before building the home.

In the living room area, the flame lamps seen at left depict fire when viewed at night. The table seen against the wall under the TV was designed by Rangel, who owns the company that builds windshields for jets. The chair seen here is from a group known as the “frog” collection because of the way the design sits on the floor. (OWEN RILEY JR./Staff)

The other space, a condo located downtown in River Place, was purchased before the building even existed, bought at an auction and, according to Riddle, finished to produce a positive feeling within each and every guest who visits there.

“I wanted the condo design to produce a dynamic and memorable experience in people. My father owned an upholstery shop when I was growing up, and from my earliest experience there, I became aware of how a fabric's texture and color can change a room's whole atmosphere.”

The luscious colors used in the primary home Riddle shares with Richard Warder set the stage for the beautiful furnishing of the home, where an open floor plan rules.

“Being able to see lots of different rooms when you walk in the front door gives a feeling of openness and charm,” said Riddle. “And we love to entertain in a bright and sunny home.”

Sit back and enjoy the trip from one home to another. It's one journey guaranteed not to disappoint.