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Welcome

“As a resident of the world of design since birth, I’d like to take some time to celebrate some of the people and things in that world that I admire. I hope you come along for the ride. And, as my name has really taken a beating these last couple of years, -thank you Mr. Bezos, - feel free to think of me here by my nickname: Lex. And, please also enjoy this completely un-recognizable and years old headshot.” - Alexa Hampton

Laura Jenkins

Laura Jenkins

Lindsay Calhoun

photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? A flat in London or NYC Brownstone

What are three words to describe your style?

  • Collected

  • Considered

  • Perfectly Imperfect

Tell us about your childhood bedroom? My childhood bedroom was full of different collections and most of them centered around horses and music. My Mom drove the decoration, and when I was young, I didn’t really push back. I had a wonderful iron daybed and she always picked out a floral bed cover that wasn’t too pink (she loved pink, and I didn’t growing up). But after that, she let me express myself and to my walls, I added posters of famous equestrians I admired (I was and still am an avid rider and horse lover), band posters, and a couple of art posters from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? When I was in design school, my local Knoll showroom had a sample sale. I went with a friend, and I purchased a single Knoll Bertoia chair for $271.00. At the time, that was a lot of money for me, and I think I put it on my credit card. Not once have I ever regretted that purchase and in fact, I now have a pair of them and they have moved with me from home to home, always finding a place to live.

In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Architecture by Piero Portaluppi and interiors by Paul Fortune.

No room is complete without Art!

Things you omit from

  • A flower arrangement: I can make a case for anything natural!

  • An hors d’oeuvre platter: Jams

  • A bar cabinet: Schnapps

A song for

  • Dinner at home: Rudy Got Soul, Desmond Decker

  • Working at your desk: The Weight, The Band

  • Driving: Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan

Biggest Vice? Shopping!

If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? This ebbs and flows but currently, vintage Navajo turquoise jewelry via Etsy or amazing dealers like Ship Rock Santa Fe.

Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Absolutely! I love following fashion and that often gets reflected in our interiors. I am endlessly inspired by the creativity of designers in the fashion spere, and we often use fashion as design inspiration. My style has evolved over the years, but fashion has always been an outlet and a way to express myself. Interiors should be the same, the style of the interior should reflect the people that live there. In my outfits, as well as our interiors, I love to mix contemporary and vintage, and I couldn’t live without great denim!

Who is your star crush? Robbie Robertson (RIP) & Zadie Smith

What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it?  Overly fanciful drapery and bedding

What design book do you find yourself going back to again and again?

·      Italian Interiors by Laura May Todd

·      May I Come In by Wendy Goodman

For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for?  I don’t want to be known for a particular style as our interiors are contextual and client based, no two look the same (hopefully). What I would like to be known for is our use of color, art, and our mixture of different design eras to create a collected vibe. I also want to be known for the thoughtful integration of our interiors with the architecture in which they reside whether old or new.

photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

A Few Favorites:

  • Movie: An impossible question but if pressured to choose one, When Harry Met Sally

  • Book: On Beauty by Zadie Smith, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • Scent: Prada Amber, also an RIP

  • The fabric you always come back to: Clarence House Velours Klee

  • Dream project: A Venetian Palazzo with original terrazzo floors, beams, and plaster walls and/or restoring a Frank Lloyd Wright original home

  • Meal: Caesar salad with French fries and a great glass of white wine

  • Drink: Gin & Club Soda with a splash of Pims or a glass of Chardonnay

  • Hotel: The Ludlow in NYC

  • Travel Destination: I would have a hard time choosing between Paris & Venice but all with the caveat of being during low tourism season

  • Artist: I love collecting and using contemporary local artists in my work, but I am endlessly inspired by de Kooning and Matisse

  • A cause near and dear to me: Teaching young kids about architecture and design. As an artist and lover of being creative, it took me a while to find my place in my career. I didn’t really know about a career in interior design or architecture until I was already studying history in college. I loved (and still love history) but I missed being creative. Interior Design was a great way to combine these two passions. I want to make sure young kids who might not grow up knowing about this profession have access to it.

  • Thing to collect obsessively: Vintage jewelry and art

  • Era in the history of design: I love them all but currently I can’t get enough of the 1930s (for design)

  •  Museum: The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia

  • Paint Color: Farrow & Ball Cord, it is the perfect neutral that feels like a warm hug

  • Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Pattie Smith, a hero and inspiration to me

  • Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? I love all animals but we currently have doges, two standard Poodles to be specific!

Micheal Simon

Micheal Simon

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