photo by Lisa Romerein
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? Tangier, Morocco
What are three words to describe your style?
Elegant
Luxurious
Comfortable
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Interestingly, I was an artist and sculptor at the time, and it was very much the era of black light. I had black light posters of rock and roll stars mixed with old barrels I’d painted lime green. I even made a console, carpeted on top and supported by those barrels, with the words grass and acid boldly painted on either side.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? A large Louis XV Provençal armoire in bleached walnut
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Lorenzo Mongiardino
No room is complete without good lighting.
People think of me as a simple Mid-Westerner, but I am really a seasoned New Yorker.
Things you omit from
A flower arrangement: sticks
An hors d’oeuvre platter: sausage
A bar cabinet: overly sweet liquors
A song for
Dinner at home: Anything by Cole Porter
Working at your desk: The London Philharmonia
Going for a run: Wagner
Biggest Vice? Over-purchasing plant material.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? A Tom Ford Tuxedo.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes, my clothes are tailored, and I do like a certain formality of dress. I strive for an elegant line, and while I often arrive overdressed, I feel comfortable — as do my interiors. It isn’t the clothing itself that draws attention to me, just as our interiors don’t scream or shout or make enormous statements. They are meant to be lived in, much like my clothes.
Who is your star crush? Ralph Fiennes
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Pattern on pattern on pattern.
What design book do you find yourself going back to again and again? Billy Baldwin Decorates
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Uplifting as well as comfortable, graceful as well as high functioning, coherent as well as appropriate, creative as well as cohesive.
photo by luke white
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Casablanca
Book: Any Biography on President Truman
Scent: Real Gardenias or Peonies
The fabric you always come back to: Adana by Savel
Dream project: A chateau in the Loire Valley, or a Swedish palace
Meal: Anything from La Majorelle
Drink: Lychee Martini
Hotel: San Ysidro Ranch
Travel Destination: Europe
Artist: Rothko
A cause near and dear to me: The Garden Conservancy: preserving, and sharing, and celebrating America’s gardens and diverse garden traditions for the education of anyone.
Thing to collect obsessively: Plants
Era in the history of design: Late 18th Century Scandinavian
Museum: The Frick
Benjamin Moore Paint Color: Chantilly Lace, a white paint I use all the time.
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: N/A
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs
