By Ernesto Santalla AIA
Photography Morgan Howarth and Geoffrey Hodgdon
Hair and makeup Carola Myers
“Pale Gold Gleams II” by Pauline Ziegen (Donald Sultan school) hangs over an antique chest with an heirloom sterling silver tureen. In the background, paintings by Paul Penczner (Marius’ father) hang above custom silverware chests designed by Studio Santalla. The room’s traditional and contemporary qualities are enhanced by the Donghia sofa-daybed, stone mantelpiece and custom designed area rug by Studio Santalla. (Photo by Morgan Howarth)
I adhere to the philosophy that a home should be functional yet reflective of the owner’s personalities. Getting to know the dynamic couple before I began redesigning their property was a lesson in two intertwined lives lived passionately and creatively.
In the ’70s, while on hiatus from touring with his band, Black Oak Arkansas, Marius took a film production class at the University of Memphis. Serendipitously, Nancy, then a violin student, enrolled in a film editing class. Filmmaker meets film editor. A love for music and movies soon coalesced with a love for each other.
They tied the knot three years later and began to apply their passion for film, music, and each other into the Nashville-based music video production business, Penczner Productions. In 1983, just two years after the launch of MTV, Marius directed the ZZ Top music video, “TV Dinners” through Ardent Recording Studios. That success was followed with Travis Tritt’s “American Flyer” and “Bible Belt,” and in 1993, the music documentary “My Old Friend,” with two of the great names in rock’n’roll, Carl Perkins and Paul McCartney. It was then, when Marius was reaching new heights in the music industry, that fate steered him in a different direction.
