Step into Louis Shields' beautiful new design studio in Middleburg and you'll immediately recognize the elegance and highly refined sense of style so apparent in his former location. In addition to offering a highly-edited collection of fine antique furniture, Louis now features his own spectacular abstract art and his own custom furniture designs.

Of his artwork, he says, "I am a trained painter and I've painted forever, but this period of my work really pleases me.

In planning this move, I wanted to showcase the paintings and the custom furniture among the antiques. The response has been very enthusiastic."

So enthusiastic, in fact, that his paintings now hang in Manhattan, Denver, San Francisco and Florence, Italy. Those were sold in just the three months before he moved.

The proprietor of Middleburg's highly regarded "Hasten- ing Antiques" for thirty years, he was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and studied painting in the U.S. and England, where he lived for ten years.

"While in England, I restored three houses and fell in love with the antiques' business," he recalled. "When I returned to the United States, I was determined to live no farther north and no farther south than Middleburg...so Middleburg it was...and is."

When he moved to the new shop, he changed the name of the business to reflect his broader emphasis on design: "Hastening Design Studio - Art - Antiques - Interiors". The new address, 116 West Washington, across from the Post Office in Middleburg and next door to Common Grounds, has three enormous windows to display his canvases, and is reminiscent of the very best London, New York and Paris galleries.

"I will always offer antiques," Louis said, gesturing to a charming 1670 Louis XIV walnut stool and a pair of perfectly scaled Regency bookcases. "For years I've had the great pleasure of finding and restoring important French and English antiques for my clients. I thoroughly enjoy the search and restoration process, and I will always continue that work. Antiques offer exceptional character to a room. They are endowed with hundreds of years of history and one can feel their presence in a room."

Good design is intelligent use of light, space and color, Louis insists.

"I respect the entire range of design elements from antiques to modern design to art. But, for me, the most interesting interiors are a skillful blend of all these elements. My interior design projects, whether in Palm Beach, DC, or Manhattan, always include a mix of styles and pieces."

It is the exciting combination of Louis' exceptionally beautiful and impeccably restored antiques with his stunning abstract paintings that seduces passers-by into his new space.

"Although for many years, my art was focused on etchings in the Arthur Rackham style, these new abstracts really capture my sensibilities now," he said.

Clearly, his paintings gesture toward the architectural structure and depth he loves, and his palette originates in a natural range, but when you gaze at the magnificent painting of what must be a flowing red cape, it is impossible not to feel the power and haste of Louis' subject.

"My paintings are intentionally non-referential, but they draw from natural origins."

Lou's favorite creations, bar none, are his talented daughters, Jessica, a highly regarded chef and owner of a food truck; and Lela, an artist who has a studio in Fairfax, California, called Trouvé.

"Their English mother, Kate, is an extraordinary gardener and a wonderful horsewoman, so they grew up in a very artistic environment. I simply could not be more proud of them."

Among the careful selection of paintings and antiques at Hastening Design Studio, you will find a Mogol Empire silver engraved vase; an Italian Neo-Classical mirror from 1785; 19th century Sevres plates and many stunning pieces that Louis has designed and produced himself.

The small gilded iron, marble-topped tables are exceptionally beautiful and useful. Even so, he never stops searching. If the 1935 cabinet designed by Andre Arbus or the French Regency hall lantern have gone to new home by the time you visit Hastening Design Studio, think how delightful it would be to have one of Louis' paintings for Christmas.