July 15-31, 2008

MEET THE DESIGNER

A DESIGNER SPECIALIZES IN THE MARRIAGE OF ART AND INTERIORS

You started in art, why did you make the move to design? Being a control freak, I wanted to have the entire residential space completed through my vision. Rather than letting my hand-selected artwork be placed above an unsightly sofa or a cluttered room with bad lighting, I wanted to take responsibility for the entire project. You represent some 50 artists. How does this connect to your career as a designer? I started as an art dealer in SoHo. I worked for a printmaker art publisher and then started dealing in painting, sculpture and unique works on paper. There is nothing more important in completing a space than having the right piece of art or sculpture. There are so many talented artists, particularly right out here on the East End. It's my pleasure to facilitate the placement of art in the right homes and properties. What do you see as the balance between art and design? They go hand in hand. One without the other is not successful. Good art is designed well and good design is artful in its own right. What do you like about working in the Hamptons? I love that by working out here I can justify spending more time at my own home out East. I renovated it a few years ago, but it's an ongoing project. I also love that most of the projects I do here are second homes for people. There is a more relaxed feeling about the interiors and the general timeline itself. We do not interrupt anyone's school schedules if there's construction going on. The clients do not have to "live through it" so to speak. And of course, there is generally more space and light than in NYC. Who would be a dream client? I will let you know when I meet them! What are you looking forward to in the future? Bringing the business to the next level. I would love to do a small boutique hotel that bridges my art background with my passion for interiors. This would be a dream come true. How has your style evolved since starting your firm in 1996? It has elevated. In general, I have appreciation for more things. I've branched out and tried more color where I may not have before. I'm doing more with organic elements and with unique materials. I source things that are hard to find and push clients a bit more than I would have been comfortable doing previously. Describe your own home. It's clean, quiet, organized, comfortable, child-proof (sort of), art-filled, well lit, happy, warm, practical and functional, clutter-free, low maintenance, light, textured, small but not too small....just right for me and my five-year-old daughter, Milly T! What advice would you give to a student of design? Allow yourself to be inspired by the great designers that came before us. Take risks! Have fun!