An Eames La Chaise accents the first-floor hallway; in the background is a portrait of Jacqueline Anderson. (Frank Espich for The Star)

Other than repainting to lighter shades, the Andersons left the exterior of Westerley unchanged. The home sits on 5 and a half acres in historic Golden Hills. (Frank Espich for The Star)

Jacqueline Anderson designed upholstered seating for the formal living room, and chose an eclectic mix of other furnishings. The elaborate plasterwork is original; energy-effiecient new windows fill original openings. (Frank Espich for The Star)

Jacqueline and Maxwell Anderson strike a pose for a portrait in the parlor. (Frank Espich for The Star)

Westerley is the official residence of IMA Director / CEO Maxwell Anderson and his wife Jacqueline, whose portrait hangs above the fireplace in the formal dining room. She spearheaded the home's renovation. (Frank Espich for The Star)

Max and Jacqueline Anderson are not your typical tenants.

But then, Westerley is not your typical rental property.

Built on 561/27 acres of prime land in northwest Indianapolis in 1922, this 20-room mansion is one of the most storied home sites in the city. It is owned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which received it as a bequest in 2001 from arts patron Dr. George H.A. Clowes and his wife, Edith.

Max Anderson, hired in 2006 as director and CEO of the museum, and his wife were allowed to live in it as part of his remuneration.

The only condition? They had to fix it up.

About $2 million later, the home is back to its previous glory. Funding came from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation and an anonymous donor.

"It's such a historically important home," said Jacqueline Buckingham Anderson, an actress, model and designer, who directed the renovation. "There are so many people in this community who remember being here. They are so happy to see it alive again."

Architecturally, the original structure was built in an Italianate style, which is partly based on the Romanesque design of the Italian countryside, but with some more elaborate Baroque details. The exterior was later modified with a large addition, and the facade was converted to a faux-English Tudor look, complete with half-timbers and! stucco infill.

The roof has large, Mediterranean-style clay tiles, so the overall effect is eclectic.

Where the house shines is on the inside. Hand-nailed walnut flooring, countless crystal chandeliers, seven fireplaces, Carrara marble, collectible 20th-century furniture, and more, more, more.

The living room is the showcase -- that's where the director of the Louvre Museum was feted during the recent exhibit of Roman art at the IMA, for example.

Jacqueline Anderson says she worked to maintain the original "footprint" of the room during the renovation.

Original plaster designs in the trim as well as the pilasters (superficial column designs) were kept intact. The window openings are original, but now have modern insulated glass and frames.

Furnishings inside the living room include end tables and a Louis XIV pedestal that are original to the house, but also a 1950s cocktail table that Jacqueline Anderson found in Paris, and sofas and several chairs she personally designed. Then there are the chrome Mies van der Rohe settees. Colors include "light salmon pink" "warm grays" and "pearlescent pink."

Anderson points with pride to the 19th-century Italian chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room.

"It was big enough to carry off the space, but doesn't hang too low," she said.

Architect for the project was Roland Design; Anderson also worked with Paul Howard Inc. on some of the furniture she designed and the upholstery.

A striking piece of furniture she added to the mix is found in the Baltic gray stair hall. That's the swoopy white Eames La Chaise. It looks like something only a contortionist could love, but it's comfortable to sit in. For a while.

Most of the artwork in the house came with the tenants -- they don't belong to the IMA.

The Andersons have two children, son Chase, 12, and daughter Devon, nearly 2.

"Chase has been living in and around museums since he was born," said Max Anderson. "We don't have to tell him anything. Our 2-year-old is learning" to look but don't touch.

Other notable rooms include the small 8library -- wood-paneled and lined with bookshelves, just as one would expect, except that the paneling in this room is knotty pine throughout.

"It's a surprising choice, very informal," said Max Anderson. "It's counterpoint."

The dining room features a black-lacquered table that seats 14 on "silvered" leather chairs, plus a large niche in one wall that now is home to an unusual standing Buddha sculpture

The kitchen was completely redone by the Andersons. The paint scheme includes "pink powder-puff" and white cabinets, with large windows throughout. A double-wide island 8anchors the room.

There's no basement as such in the house, just the lower level that leads to a terrace and the outside swimming pool. The level is painted in a light aqua (but the enlarged powder room is painted "nacho cheese"), and for those who've swum too many laps, there's a Mies van der Rohe daybed for recuperating.

Overall, the home's decor is creative, not slavish.

"What I wanted to do in every room was have a mix of the old and new," said Jacqueline Anderson.

- Story by Abe Aamidor