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The mural is by Richmond graffiti artist Silas Baker. The furniture is early 1930s industrial McKay and Royal Chrome. The lighting is vintage George Kovacs for Kalmar and Gaetano Sciolari for Stilnovo.
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The vintage furnishings are by MacKay Industrial, the French designer Max Sauze and Milo Baughman. Frances Bacon’s “Study for Bullfight” and a painting by Japanese artist Kazuko Inoue grace the walls. The Sputnik chandelier is vintage Gaetano Sciolari Murano.
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Morris’ desk is crafted from the wing of a World War II bomber. The Eames Aluminum Group office chairs, Bernhardt Flat Bar and Harvey Probber Architectural Cube series are vintage, and the Captain America painting is by Mr. Brainwash.
Behind an unassuming facade on the edge of Richmond’s bustling Scott’s Addition, treasure awaits. Curated by Scot and Janet Morris, an exceptional collection of midcentury modern decor resides in four adjacent buildings. Three contain the inventory for Janet’s furniture business, Mid Century Morris. The fourth is home to Scot’s investment firm, Z3 Capital Partners.
The Z3 building, once a dilapidated warehouse, was transformed into a showstopping headquarters in 2020. Scot did much of the work himself, gutting the interior, painting everything white and installing glass garage doors. The result is a clean canvas for midcentury masterpieces.
There are hints that the building is special. A silver bull guards the entrance, and a colorful bull mural overlooks the courtyard. The kaleidoscope of bull-themed art, a motif that reflects the firm's focus on strength and prosperity, includes a Francis Bacon bullfight lithograph and a signed Andy Warhol silkscreen.
Beyond bulls, a Mundy Hepburn light sculpture pulsating with psychedelic plasma arcs alongside a Harvey McWilliams Highway Series sculpture, iconic Milo Baughman swivel chairs and steel-framed seating by McKay. Pieces by Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen rub elbows, and a Paul Evans Cityscape burlwood and chrome patchwork table commands the conference room. Scot's office, dubbed the “war room,” features a graffitied practice bomb suspended above a desk crafted from a World War II bomber plane wing.
When Scot wants a change in pace, he enjoys the hands-on work of restoration. If something can't be restored or needs an edgier touch, he calls on local graffiti artist Silas Baker, whose intense colors revitalize everything from outdoor furniture to an orange-felted pool table on wheels. The building culminates in a vibrant pop-art mural celebrating the stock market’s upward trend during Scot’s years in the industry.
The whole of the Z3 building is unquestionably greater than the sum of its parts. Now a standout place for work and fun, it's the coalescence of Scot and Janet's eye for design and their unique ability to uncover the potential in forlorn furnishings.
