MEET THE DESIGNER

What is your design philosophy? Most of all, it just needs to be welcoming. I incorporate hints of gold and shine and fur, things that stimulate the senses and pique curiosity. I also like to use the architectural character of an existing space to build upon. Where did you study and receive training? I didn't even complete my second year of college. I was too anxious to get out and express myself. My real training came from the many talented people I've had the good fortune of working with in visual merchandising. Then I was a freelance fashion and set stylist.How does your knowledge of fashion affect your designs? The most inspiring are the anchors of the fashion industry, like Yves Saint Laurent. What it is about him are the dashes of mirror and fur. His designs were very simple, but also very risky. Besides mirror and fur, do you have any other favorite materials? I'm big on wood, glass and metal, and most of my upholstery fabrics are wool or cotton. I like skins and lacquered goat. Lacquered goat doesn't even look like what it is. It's an old romantic craft that you don't see very often. Describe your home: It's on Shelter Island and is '70s modern, with pitched ceilings and lots of glass and light. It sits atop a hill and sort of hides amongst the landscape because of its weathered siding. It feels very Hollywood Hills. You design furniture that you carry at your shop, Home114, also on Shelter Island. What's your design process? Need. Sketch. Materials. Prototype. Who has had a profound influence on your work? My mom, Cecilia. She had a great sense of style and color. She liked odd stuff. I remember a Danish sofa with turquoise vinyl cushions, emerald green wall-to-wall carpeting, a hallway with leopard-print paper. She once drove a yellow Impala with a red velour interior. What is your greatest extravagance? I hate to say this, but my Range Rover. What about your greatest bargain? An eight-foot-long, teak-topped Saarinen ellipse dining table for $50. I always cringe when I see... Plastic slipcovers and sculpted carpeting...everything from the Pittsburgh neighborhood where I grew up. If you could live during any time period, which would it be? The '40s. It was romantic and sophisticated.