Step into Karen Carrier’s freshly renovated Chickasaw Gardens home and you’ll instantly recognize the same spirit that defines her restaurants — bold, eclectic and brimming with soul. The celebrated restaurateur, caterer and creative force behind The Beauty Shop, Mollie Fontaine Lounge, Bar DKDC, Another Roadside Attraction and New York-based Automatic Slims has always had an eye for transforming spaces. But this time, the project was personal.
Four years ago, Karen’s son, Austin Carrier, called from California with a birthday gift that would change everything: the promise of a dream kitchen. Austin and his husband, Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, are the design duo behind Hommeboys Interiors, an award winning, Sonoma-based firm known for blending indoor-outdoor living with a distinctive artistic edge. Together, they also launched Haus of Hommeboys, a furniture line that debuted last year.
“My sons grew up in this kitchen,” Karen says with a laugh. “It had a 1940s stove with two working eyes and barely any natural light. I loved it, but Austin said, ‘No way, Mom—it’s your time.’”
The project began in early 2024, with construction kicking off that March. Carrier assembled a familiar dream team: contractor Perry Sponseller of Sponseller McGary Construction, Jay Schwartz Electrical and Cobb Plumbing — all longtime collaborators on her restaurant ventures. Artist Allison Furr Lawyer, whose gold and silver leafing work graces Karen’s eateries, added Venetian plaster finishes to the new kitchen cabinetry. Her high school best friend, Julia Avanzi Finnell, a fellow Memphis College of Art alum, helped oversee the architectural details. “I’m a visual person, not great at reading plans,” Karen admits. “Julia translated it all for me.”
Even though Austin and Alex were managing the renovation from California, the process was seamless — the magic of a family that speaks the same creative language. They flew in just three times, relying on long-distance collaboration and a shared design vision. Marble countertops were sourced from California, custom knobs came from a Parisian designer and intricately carved Moroccan wood panels (a feature Austin initially deemed “too expensive”) became the kitchen’s crowning jewel.
“This was a labor of love,” Karen says, smiling. “And a true collaboration.”
The transformation opened up the once-dark kitchen, knocking down walls and connecting it to the dining and living areas. Now, a 10-foot folding glass door blurs the line between indoors and out, leading to a lush backyard with a pool and deck — a touch of Sonoma in the heart of Memphis.
“I wanted that feeling of indoor-outdoor living that I love so much when I visit Austin and Alex,” Karen says. “It’s perfect for entertaining; I host staff pool parties, manager dinners and family gatherings here. It’s about community, laughter and breaking bread.”
That sense of community runs deep. For Karen, cooking has always been an art form, a “cross-cultural, tropical comfort” that pulls influences from Oaxaca, Jamaica, Thailand, Vietnam and the American South. “My food knows no borders,” she says. “It’s like painting — mixing mediums to create something unexpected.”
Her kitchen now doubles as a testing ground for new dishes that might appear on her catering menus or restaurant specials. It’s a space for experimentation, celebration and connection — everything she loves about the business of food.
Though her creative journey has taken her from Nashville to the streets of New York, Karen’s roots have never left Memphis soil. A proud graduate of White Station High School and the Memphis Academy of Arts, she was shaped by the city’s rhythm and history.
“I was raised on Stax and High Records, learned to dance at Club Paradise and saw James Brown at the Goodwill Revues,” she says. “Memphis is in my blood. It’s the heartbeat of everything I do.”
These days, when she’s not in the kitchen or hosting friends, Karen unwinds with her dog, good books, Pilates and the occasional escape: a month in Jamaica every January, visits to California and New York, and culinary adventures in Austin and New Orleans. “My motto is, if you rest, you rust,” she says.
But home is where her heart beats loudest. “Memphis is rumbling under the surface,” she says. “It’s full of creative, funny, talented people. I’m proud to be part of that energy — feeding it, one meal at a time.”
“Memphis is in my blood. It’s the heartbeat of everything I do.”