Small space, big style

Tony McCormack’s downtown apartment is barely 1,200 square feet, but it’s a lesson in connoisseurship. The art, mostly paintings and ceramics, is all special — in some cases, spectacularly so. The furniture is a personal catalogue of mid-century classics. And the compact setting is perfectly suited for the peripatetic lifestyle that McCormack enjoys — frequent travel and cruises, plus bi-yearly stays in Palm Springs, Calif.

McCormack is technically retired, but, like many Sarasotans, he seems busier than ever. His various collections have become so vast — and are still growing — that he sells pieces at antique shows all over the country. Along the way, he’s become an expert in many fields. In fact, he’s past president of the American Art Pottery Association. Not bad for somebody who started out with some Fiestaware he found at a flea market.

Now his collection includes rare pieces from the finest potters of the last century. There’s a tissue-thin vase by George Ohr, the famous “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” Next to it on the shelf are several Newcomb College pieces, the highly sought after work made a century ago by the genteel female students at the famed New Orleans college. With their distinctive motifs of Southern flora and fauna, price tags can go into the 10s of thousands. And perhaps most unique of all: a white unglazed bisque vase, signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

McCormack’s apartment is his third Sarasota retirement home. The first, a house on Bird Key, he shared with his partner, Don Uhlenhott, when they moved down in 1983 from Atlanta. When Uhlenhott died, McCormack moved to a condo in The Meadows. It was comfortable but too far away from the activities of downtown. 

“I missed the social life and the farmers market,” he says. “From here, you can walk anywhere.” 

The living room provides a good introduction to McCormack’s style. The color palette consists of the earth tones that define the mid-century look. There’s a low campaign chest by Heritage on which are displayed several choice items: an unusual Rookwood plaque framed in gold, a covered jar by Tom Turner and a vase by Charles Counts. Stools by Harry Bertoia line the breakfast bar, an Eileen Grey side table holds a lucite lamp, and a pair of chairs by Milo Baughman flank the contemporary sofa. Looking down on them all is a painting by local artist Tom Stephens.

The bedroom is lighter in feeling, with several large paintings, including a work by the Haitian artist Croshen. There’s a second bedroom down the hall, which is used as an office. Here, shelves hold items from McCormack’s pottery collection. But what is visible is only the start. Hundreds of pieces are in storage, ready to be reorganized and selected for yet another antique show.

These days it’s mostly furniture that holds McCormack’s attention. 

“I’m always buying,” he says. “At auctions, from dealers and people who call me up out of the blue — everywhere.” 

His most interesting finds are taken to Palm Springs for the yearly Modernism show. 

“It’s the best in the country,” he says. “Ten days of lectures, tours and parties.” 

In fact, the desert community has become a second home. He rents a place there several times a year for a prolonged stay. 

Surprisingly, McCormack’s Sarasota apartment is also a rental. With the bulk of his collections stored elsewhere — he has seven storage units in Sarasota alone — his home functions as a way to display what interests him at the moment. 

“I’m a neat hoarder,” he says with a smile. “As I become more educated, I keep trading up. I’m always looking for something new.” 

“I’m a neat hoarder. As I become more educated, I keep trading up. I’m always looking for
something new.”

— Tony McCormack