VIGNETTE VOL. #5: AN INTERVEW WITH GRANT GIBSON

It's been a little while since our last Vignette post here on coco+kelley, but, if all good things are worth waiting for, then this interview is no exception! When Annie and I sat down to come up with our 'wish list' of designers for the rest of the year, the young, talented and always gracious Grant Gibson was at the top of mine. I adore his overall aesthetic, his love of black and white, and his reincarnations of classic style. But more than that I'm continuously impressed with his passion for design and the wonderful things I hear from some of his neighbors in San Francisco. So, naturally... we had to make a phone call...

How would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as classic and timeless and I try to mix it up so it’s not too far in one direction. Recently I see the term "new traditionalist" a lot, and I’d describe myself in that way. The style starts with traditional but then mixes in things like a parsons table next to a rolled arm sofa to keep it fresh and young. My personal style has been described as this preppy classic look and I have been experimenting with that in a few show houses like the Elle Décor house and a showroom in San Francisco, trying to mix up the perception about me. Like, in the Elle Décor house I did the teenage girl’s bedroom with hot pink chinoiserie wallpaper and a zebra headboard. I’m trying to think outside the box and have a little fun and show I can do something different.

My apartment has that masculine trophy cup thing and I’m using it as a laboratory, trying to add more contemporary art and things to switch it up. I wear a lot of black and white - it’s easy to get ready in the morning. I have about twenty gingham shirts and I love black sweaters and shoes and I like this personal, classic way to dress, but there are preppy twists to my wardrobe.


You've reached success and attention at such a young age - due to hard work of course - how much was being driven and how much serendipity?

I’ve always been pretty driven and set very specific goals and I make things happen and so as things began to fall into place there was this sort of magic or serendipity. When I first started, I had just moved to San Francisco from New York and wanted to do a show house. When I daydream I’m not afraid of things - I always think "What is the worst thing that can happen?" and that is that someone can say "No." So I applied to the show house and by some miracle they let me do the space. I was 24 and the day it opened was my 25th birthday and I have set the record for the youngest designer to do a show house.

I built my momentum as a younger designer in San Francisco. In a way the youngness hurt - there is an ageism against the old and the young. I’d go to the Design Center and they’d say "Oh you’re too young to have a firm," and I think that drove me even further and made me push myself.

In the last two years specifically things have really taken off. I work really hard on publicity and I am my own publicist. I like interacting with writers and bloggers and taking the time to meet people for lunch. A large percentage of what I do is marketing and running a business—there is a lot more than just designing.



Does living in San Francisco affect your designs and aesthetic?

I think San Francisco is a little more relaxed and that is reflected in the interiors there. I don’t think because I live in California it makes me do only a California style. I do projects all over and that’s amazing because I love to travel. I’m a California boy at heart but I am most inspired by traveling.

What are some of the places you are really inspired by?

I was just traveling in South American and am really inspired by Columbia. It was such a random idea to go there and I loved it. I had done a lot of traveling in Italy and wanted to do something different and mix it up and not just do the luxurious European vacation. I’m really inspired by Japan and would love to go there and see the culture and the attention to details. And to India to see the colors. I love Paris, London, and Rome, but I want to think outside the box with my design and to be open to different cultures and lifestyles.


How has all the press you’ve gotten in publications like Elle Décor and House Beautiful affected your business?

The reaction was definitely huge. House Beautiful has been a huge support to me which is so helpful. Elle Décor picking me as one of five to watch catapulted me. One of the biggest things was my apartment being in The New York Times - that really changed things with new types of clients that started calling. It was an amazing path to grow and be recognized as an up and coming designer and we are now super busy and super thrilled with all the projects we are working on. But it’s not like I turned 25 and was just there overnight. I am 32 now and it has been 7 years of progressing. Each months and each year gets better. I couldn’t ask for any more. I always dreamed of being in the New York Times and when I woke up the morning the piece came out it was amazing. And when Margaret Russell called me to tell me they wanted to name me as one to watch I nearly fell out of my chair. It has been fantastic to have the support of different editors and bloggers - it makes me feel like I am doing something right and makes me want to work that much harder. I really want to keep learning and keep changing and to not be tied to a certain look. There are designers who are tied to a look and I love that but for me I want to mix it up.

What was your favorite house when you were growing up?

Definitely my childhood home. My bedroom was a place where I’d move things around and decorate. I had bunk beds and I took them apart and made one my day bed in a little seating area and one into my actual bed—so it as like I had a little apartment. It had dark wood paneling and I went away to summer camp and begged my parents to paint over it white, and they did and I took up the carpeting so even then had these white walls and hard wood floors.


What style or period are you most afraid of but would love to try your hand at?

I’m very attracted to Asian design. I try to mix in Asian elements—like a beautiful Chinese coffee table—and I don’t really get a lot of opportunities to do that. I’m not as well educated in the history and use of Asian pieces but I’d like more opportunity to work with them.

If you had to hire someone else to design your home who would it be?

No question - for me it would be two very different designers. The first is Miles Redd. I think his style and the chances he takes are flawless. When I open a magazine and see some of his work, like a door painted yellow or wild fabric on a traditional piece my jaw drops. He would do an amazing, crazy, and unexpected job. And the other would be Darryl Carter. I love his work. I love his use of monochromatic colors and his very well-edited interiors. He just uses such and interesting mix of modern and very traditional. His book is just phenomenal.


What 5 design books do you think everyone should own?

Daryle Carter’s book The New Traditional, Kelly Wearstler’s books, the Domino book, Jeffery Bilhuber’s first book and Thomas O'Brien's American Modern.

How often do you rearrange your own furniture or redecorate your space?

I used to do it all the time, constantly moving things around until a couple of years ago and I decided I couldn’t do it any more. I told my assistant to stop me if I tried to move things. But I am still constantly re-accessorizing. I move art around and pillows in and out. I don’t have an emotional attachment to things - they are just things and at the end of the day we can’t take them with us when we go.

What was the last piece you purchased for your home?

I purchased a new painting for the dining room and it’s a very abstract 1960’s painting-very green and blue and mid-century with blobs of color and I love the juxtaposition of it with my classic pieces.


Finish this sentence: No room is complete without… 

excellent lighting.

What current trend do you most despise in decorating?

I don’t really like themed rooms. It’s too much of the same. And I don’t like suites of furniture. You don’t need to buy everything at the same time-you don’t need to buy out of desperation.

Do you have a few favorite pieces, paint colors, etc that you continuously use in your designs, and why?

Two colors I really love are Farrow and Ball’s Downpipe - a gray, moody type of color - and one that works equally well on the East Coast and the West Coast, which is my own blend of 50 percent Benjamin Moore Decorator White with 50 percent Benjamin Moore Linen White - when you put the two together it’s not too creamy, too yellow, or too blue.


What is one piece of furniture or accessory people under-use?

One accessory that is under-used is flowers. It's a really simple and affordable way to transform a room with a pop of color (or no color if you prefer). I used to only like white flowers, but I have ventured out into adding in pinks (with peonies) or right now bright yellow daffodils.

If you could design a space for anyone who would it be and what particular space?

I would say Diane Keaton. I am always reading about her love of design and her commitment to architecture. She seems like a great person would be interested in history, purchasing beautiful and classic pieces that would relate to the architecture. So much of design today seems to be about removing the history from spaces and making them new and modern.

If you had to spend $25, $250, and $2500 respectively to make a big bang in a room, what would be they be?

For $25 I would purchase a beautiful candle. For $50 I would buy a great book on interior design. For $250 I would paint a room and splurge on great paint like Farrow and Ball. For $2500 I would buy fabric and re-cover a favorite piece of furniture.

A huge thanks to Grant for giving us the time for this interview! And, we're so excited to spread the word that his Tastemaker Tag Sale will be up this Saturday one One King's Lane! I'm hoping to be first in line for a pair of these babies.

*interview conducted and written by coco+kelley contributor annie lou berman.

VIGNETTE VOL.4: NATE BERKUS DESIGN DIRECTORS SASHA ADLER + LAUREN GOLD

Do you ever wonder who the faces are behind names like Nate Berkus (whose show I'm sure has been keeping him from doing too much of his own interior design lately). Well, in today's fourth installment of our Vignette Series, we're getting a peek at how things work behind the scenes! Meet Sasha Adler and Lauren Gold - the talented (and, um gorgeous!) duo who keep the wheels turning at Nate Berkus Associatiates. Together they are responsible for creating interiors that feel true to Nate's vision while bringing what I can only imagine is their own amazing sense of style to the company.


What is it like working as a team?

S: We were friends before we started to work together so we’ve always had a great rapport. The way we work on a project is that just one of us heads the project but we work together conceptually - pulling inspiration, shopping…

L: We actually finish each other’s sentences, so we have a good thing going on.


What is the process of working with Nate?

Nate will start a design and meet with us to discuss a projects concepts. We are the day-to-day people and are the ones who talk to the clients daily. We complete his creative ideas, but there is a lot of collaboration and we are really creating together.

We all are so comfortable with each other so we aren’t afraid to say “That’s a terrible idea!”. We can be very honest and open.


How has working collaboratively influenced with your own aesthetic and style?

L: All three of us have the same aesthetic. We definitely gravitate towards the same things. Nate might be more masculine or rustic and Sasha more modern and bright, and me more traditional, but we all learn from each other and infuse our personalities into the project.

S: I would say Lauren and Nate have influenced me a lot. I didn’t have a great understanding and appreciation of antiques and Lauren, whose parents own an antique business, has that background and she has educated me. Nate does amazing floor plans and positioning of furniture and I learned a lot from him in terms of that.

L: I would say Sasha does go a little more modern and funkier than I do and has influenced me that way. And she is a genius with color and palette and has taught me a lot about that. Nate has really taught me to style a space and make it much more interesting with accessories and adding layers to it.

Do you ever ask "What would Nate do?" or “What would Sasha or Lauren do?”

We collaborate on everything together so we actually ask each other, “What would you do?”


What is one piece of furniture or accessory people underuse?

Benches or a stool. We’ll tuck a pair under a table and clients like this because it adds a layer and is functional since you can pull is out for seating.

People also underestimate lighting. We use 99 percent vintage lighting and it functions like artwork In the home.

If you could design a space for anyone who would it be and what particular space?

We both love fashion and we often talk about what different fashion designers houses look like. We love Lanvin and wonder what Alber Elbaz’s house is like. He is such a genius with texture and color, and drape, and we’d love to collaborate with him on a space.


What was your favorite room/house/building when you were growing up?

L: I think for me it was my grandparents apartment. I think back about it now that I have been working in the industry for so long. It’s eclectic with fur pillows, and leopard print, and an amazing collection of art plus artwork that my sister and I did. It is chic and not dated. I always adored it.

S: I would say the Art Institute of Chicago. I used to go there when I was little. My parents would take me on my birthday and I was so inspired by all the art and would fantasize about what artwork I could have in my own home.

What style/period are you most afraid of but would love to try your hand at?
The only thing we are probably afraid of is minimalism. We both prefer to live in an environment that is layered and cozy. Minimalism shows off pieces we love, but it would be very hard to limit it all.



If you had to hire someone else to design your home who would it be?

We are both huge fans of Jacques Grange and love the houses he did for Yves Saint Laurent and would select him.

If you had to spend $25, $250, and $2500 on 2 items respectively to make a big bang in a room, what would be they be?

For $25 we’d probably say print out a favorite family photo in black and white and give it a prominent position a room, with a white frame and white matting. For $250 we’d hunt down a great vintage chair on eBay and put a bright fabric on it—we love a pop of yellow or kelly green. For $2500 we’d add an outstanding wall covering. We love grass cloth—it adds so much.

How often do you rearrange your own furniture?

L: I actually don’t move my furniture a whole lot. I move it and bring it back to where it originally was. But every time I bring something new in I move things around and I won’t go to bed until everything is in the right place.

S: I move mine around all the time!

What was the last piece you purchased for your home?

S: A light fixture on eBay. I just bought purchased a new home so I’ve been renovating and I find amazing light fixtures on eBay. Such great prices and such great pieces.

L: I’m always looking for a great little side table and they are hard to come by but I just found a French table with a marble top and brass base. I love it.

Finish this sentence: no room is complete without…

An element that reflects your personality. A lot of times people read magazines and try to emulate interior that aren’t really true to who they are and its important to have a vision that reflects you.


What current trend do you most despise in decorating?

Trends. We just stick with classic and timeless and don’t want them.


What’s the greatest reward you’ve had from your career in design?

It comes from the client. We just did an installation in December and we started with not a scrap of furniture and at the end the house is complete and the clients were crying and jumping for joy and that is the most rewarding thing - to see people loving their home and their family enjoying it. To hear that the home is functioning for the owner they way they wanted it is so rewarding.

Do you have a few favorite pieces, paint colors, etc that you continuously use in your designs?

Definitely Hinson grass cloth wall covering that we love; we incorporate leather and natural Belgian linen a lot; we love Farrow and Ball – Cornforth White No.228 is the classic pale gray - un-lacquered metals that show their age, and raw oak and reclaimed wood.

*interview conducted and written by coco+kelley contributor annie lou berman

VIGNETTE VOL 3. AN INTERVIEW WITH MOLLY LUETKEMEYER

Good morning lovely readers! I'm so excited to bring you the third installation of our Vignette series today! For those just joining us (welcome!) Vignette is a snapshot look at some of my very favorite designers and a piece we try to put together once a month here on coco+kelley.

Today, I'm ecstatic about bringing you a peek into the life of the very talented Molly Luetkemeyer, of m. design. On top of that endeavor, Molly recently started her own blog (Molly Loot) which has already brought me a few pieces of inspiration. Her rooms are some of my all-time favorites and her use of color and pattern is brave, bold and extraordinary. After hearing her answers to some of our questions, I think I adore her even more!

Did you love design growing up?

I think unconsciously I was drawn to design. My mother has a very strong design sense and worked with designers and one of my earliest memories is of the wallpaper sample book. She’d always ask what I liked and I’d flip to the darkest most lively color way --“What about the black with the hot pink and yellow?” I think I’ve always had this innate color sense. Everybody has their own palette - a comfort zone everyone has in mind - and I love the bold colors. I was unconscious of it but it was always happening.

One of my other favorite things growing up was my dollhouse—I redecorated it all the time. I’d pour over a catalog of little dollhouse pieces. The rooms would change constantly.

Was it hard to change careers?

I had an early midlife crisis. The irony is that I came to LA and thought I don’t want to work in film. I just had this moment of realizing I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I did some soul searching and friends said “Why don’t you consider interior design?” since I was always rearranging their houses when I’d go over.

So I signed up for classes and the first week I happened to meet Kelly Wearstler at a party. The stars aligned. So I walked up to her and said “What do you do?” and she said, “I’m an interior designer.” And I thought 'that’s really cool' so I said “Can I work for you?” and she told me to call the office. I worked as unpaid intern for three months for school credit. Then I stayed on for a year. It was the most incredible learning environment you can imagine.

Do you think your work would be different if you settled in a different city?

That’s a good question. Yes my career might have been different. [My style] might not have fit as well in New York, Chicago, D.C., or Baltimore. They have a more traditional look and more traditional color palette. I pull color from what is around me. The leitmotif going through this is that I’m very lucky. I came to LA and was very invigorated by the light, relaxed qualities of the space and it suited my aesthetic.

What are some of the most important or notable lessons you learned while working with Kelly Wearstler and Antonia Hutt?

With Kelly, who is a colorist, it was to be bold and be committed to your vision. You can make it work and make it beautiful and then explain it after the fact to others. Just do it.

With Antonia, I’ve never worked with someone who had a better sense of interior architecture, how important things we take for granted are, like how adding fours inches to a doorway can make it feel really grand and sophisticated.

You use a lot of stripes and graphics on the walls. Any rules of thumb about that?

In general you have to look at any space from a place of balance and harmony. So let’s say we start with a bright red sofa, you have to think what’s going to work with that how do you help balance it? I do a lot of wall murals and they come out of a need to balance what else is happening in the space. When you work with strong color, stripes, and patterns, you have to balance it.

I had a teacher who had us pick at random six color chips which at first looked disgusting—but the exercise was to lay them in the appropriate positions so they look good. Once I started playing with them I realize a little of this color or that makes all of them come together. You find the balance and harmony. Sometimes I will bring in a color that doesn’t match at all and it works.

What is one piece of furniture or accessory people underuse?

A standing lamp. A good standing lamp is your friend in pretty much every situation. It fills a dark corner - put a chair and table with the lamp and the corner is done. Pull one over a desk and you have another layer. They work whether the setting is traditional, modern, or cotemporary.

Also I’m a huge fan of ottomans. They are moveable furniture, great for kids, additional seating, and a tremendous opportunity to bring in pattern and color in a small dose

What is the biggest design mistake/blooper you’ve made?

A green room. I was working on a funny little space in the El Royale - it’s a fabulous building with great pre-war architecture and there was a little niche, maybe it used to be a porch that was enclosed, and we were going to make it a meditation space. The owners really like green and we didn’t test the color and just went ahead and painted and it looked like this radioactive vomit all over the walls. So all I could do was to say I’m sorry and repaint it. I learned always, always, always to put the colors up and look at them in the day, night, and to take your time picking colors.

If you could host a party anywhere where would it be, and what would it look like?

It would be in this Brancusi-filled studio in Paris that I was in before and all we would need to do is have a great bar and a great DJ. The aesthetics are taken care of.

What style/period are you most afraid of but would love to try your hand at?

Victorian. I’m afraid of true English antiques because I’m just not knowledgeable enough but I’d love to learn more and would be very interested to work with them.

If you had to spend $25, $250, and $2500 on 2 items respectively to make a big bang in a room, what would be they be?

For $25 bucks would be paint. I think you can do so much with paint and for $25 you could get a bunch of small samples pots and completely change the feeling of a room.

For $250 it would be lighting. Get some decent vintage lamps. I’d go to eBay where you can get something unique that no one else has and they can become the jewelry of your room. You can make a big change in your room with lamps.

For $2500 it would be a rug. Starting with a rug is a great idea. If you go with a pattern the rest of the room can be very simple. If the rug is dynamic and luxurious feeling, the rest of the furniture could be cream or white and it would be very chic.

What historical period are you most inspired by?

I’d have to say 50s and 60s in New York - it’s mostly the art, not the interiors - of that whole period with Motherwell, Sol Lewitt, Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, the list can go on and on. That is the pinnacle of my sensibility, their palette, their depth, their balance.

Do you have a few favorite pieces, paint colors, etc that you continuously use in your designs, and why?

I’m not afraid of a white wall. I’ve had the pleasure to work with people who have great art collections and it is just the best way to display.

And I always use Lucite tables. I continue to return to Lucite in general but especially in tables because they can really work in a lot of different of spaces and with a mix, if you have a great rug they don’t obscure your view, they are good looking, and they are easy to shove in a closet and pull out for entertaining.

How often do you rearrange your own furniture/redecorate your space?

More than I’d like to admit. I use my space as a laboratory. It’s an opportunity to experiment with things I’d rather try out and learn in my own space.

What was the last piece you purchased for your home?

The last two things were a painting I bought in Palm Springs that is phenomenal and a dresser from an estate sale that is by this amazing rattan artist from the Philippines—it looks like it is made of ribbons of rattan and it’s in my bedroom and I get to look at it all the time.

Finish this sentence: No room is complete without…

The finishing touches and by that I mean the objects that are your personal, beloved items that make it your room. For me it’s art books - they are everywhere (it’s a little bit of a problem) but that’s what makes the room feel like it’s mine. Everybody has their thing.

What current trend do you most despise in decorating?

Dumbed down regency because it’s so ham-handed.

What’s the most surprising reward you’ve had from your career in design?

I’d have to say it’s Clean Sweep and the reward of knowing I’m actually helping people.


*Interview by Annie Lou Berman. Photography courtesy of m. design

VIGNETTE VOL.2: AN INTERVIEW WITH SIXX DESIGN

I'm so excited today to bring you all the second installment in the Vignette series here at coco+kelley! Created as a way to give you a snapshot look into the lives of some of our favorite creative minds, today's designer couple is one that is a personal favorite as Robert and Cortney Novogratz of Sixx Design have always been such great supporters of coco+kelley. Enjoy!


You are self-taught designers - how did you figure out it was your calling?

We both were kind of creative and really liked producing things - like I used to produce big parties. Producing a house is sort of like producing a movie where you’re putting all that talent together to come up with a tangible product.

We were lucky. We started at the bottom of the real estate market and we made mistakes but they were little mistakes. Design and development are very hands on. You get better as you go along. Like Ralph Lauren has been a tastemaker for 30 years and he began as a tie salesman.

Is that how it is with parenting?

Parents read lots of books, but we shoot from the hip more and common sense prevails. We don’t think so much about things. A lot of parents think too much. We are from big families with great parents and learned a lot from them. But we learn as we go.

Do you think being self-taught has helped you because you aren’t hemmed in by preconceived ideas of what should and shouldn’t be done?

Yes. It definitely did. There are more talented and trained people but we’ve established our own look. We tell young designers this all the time, if you’re original and have a certain look you have a better chance of standing out.

You obviously have first hand experience designing with kids or lots of traffic in mind, and it seems like you don’t stress about it. People want a great looking place but to not to worry about the possible kid - or guest - induced destruction. How do you steer them?

We tell them to leave it open. We obviously don’t have a lot of stuff in there and that’s key. We were just designing an art room for a school in New Jersey and they had years of stuff stored in there and we had to clear it out and get rid of the junk.

Like we have no coffee table - we keep the space open. We have cool art but not oil paintings in the kids room that they could take a sharpie to - rather it’s a photograph framed behind glass or something. With kids the furniture we use is 90 percent Ikea but mixed in with cool art and little touches to make it a little different. We aren’t matchy matchy and we don’t buy lots of stuff. We keep the kids stuff to sports related things, or a DJ [booth], or for little ones just blocks - more functional stuff.

You guys move a lot proving that “home” is not necessarily a building but a way of living. What advice do you give people who nervous about that - that change is good and inspiring?

A lot of people pigeonhole themselves to get married at X, move to X place at X. For us change is good and exciting. If you want to have a nice lifestyle you need to make sacrifices. Without risk there’s no reward. To live the lifestyle you want on your terms is great but you give some things up.

With kids, the parents provide a happy house and if the parents are happy they give the kids that support system. Our kids stay in the same schools but when we move and get new restaurants, new friends, we adapt.

What are ways to add fun to a space?

You add color. A lot of people don’t have color in their space and it feels sad, drab, or old. You can get it with art. Art makes people happy and we tend to pick fun, whimsical pieces and people smile when they see it.

You work in urban areas with a lot of gritty buildings and buildings that were non-residential before, so just turning them into houses alone gives them an ingrained coolness. What would you do with a house that’s very traditional or one that’s cookie cutter in a more suburban area?

With a great traditional building you try to keep the bones intact but bring in your own style. We have a saying ‘Don’t make your home look like your grandmother’s’. The old houses are great but you need to add a sense of personal style and of your age. You can have a classic look but have it be more youthful.

With a cookie cutter house you really have to make it your own. Paint the door a different color - a poppy orange or yellow. Certain touches with paint can make it your own.

Are you planning another book?

We are doing another book. It’s gonna look really different and have lots of new projects. We love the first one but this one is gonna be more "how do you get this look?" Almost like secrets of the trade. The other one didn’t have a lot of sources but now that everyone has a website we can give sources.

What is one piece of furniture people underuse?

The dining table. Whether it’s in the kitchen or a dining room, people should eat at them more often. It’s nice to have dinner with your family. Maybe not seven nights a week, but two or three times is nice.

If you had to spend $25, $250, and $2500 to make a big bang in a room, what would be they be?

For $25 something like a picture of Mick Jagger - I just bought one - framed can look cool in a room. Ebay has lots of stuff.

For $250 I would buy a cool light fixture from Kartell or Tom Dixon.

For $2500 I would buy a “poppy” rug from the rug company.

Finish this sentence: no room is complete without…

Something personal.

What current trend do you most despise in decorating?

Everything grey, monotone, and neutral colors.

Do you have a few favorite pieces, paint colors, etc that you continuously use in your designs, and why?

We use a Cappellini couch a lot that has washable slipcovers. With ours, every six months we can get the slip covers dry cleaned and then buy a new one every two years and that way you get a totally new couch. We buy all of our rugs at the Rug Company. We use California Closets for all of our projects and Boffi kitchens.

When starting a new project, where do you turn to first for inspiration?

Urban cities - big cities.

What was your favorite room/house/building when you were growing up?

Cortney will say the kitchen. My brother and I slept in the basement and I’ll say that. We had our own fortress down there.

What was the last piece you purchased for your home?

I bought some Damien Hirst limited edition skateboards for my 9 year old which were his first pieces of art.

If you had to hire someone else to design your home who would it be?

Kelly Wearstler, who is very different, which is why I like her taste.

How often do you rearrange your own furniture/redecorate your space?

We don’t (laughs) we just buy a new house.

What’s the most surprising reward you’ve had from your career in design?

Having dinner with Michael Bloomberg a month ago.

If you could design a space for anyone who would it be and what particular space?

Obama. The White House.

If you could host a party anywhere where would it be, and what would it look like?

A masquerade party for sure. In Paris somewhere.

What design books do you love?

Rooms for Children: Stylish Spaces for Sleep and Play, The Selby Is In Your Place, Domino: The Book of Decorating, our book Downtown Chic.

*interview and article by coco+kelley contributor Annie Lou Berman