What led you into interior design?
I’ve always loved art, and even as a child, I would help my parents make selections for our home. I was like a mini artist in my own world, in love with anything colorful. It’s funny because even now, I still feel that excitement when I see a row of nail polish colors, Pantone colors, color swatches from paint stores—those are all very evocative elements to me. Interior design has been a passion of mine from the start, and eventually I went to design school in New York and started my business.
Who influenced your design choices?
Lucky me, I’ve had the privilege of following such great designers as Billy Baldwin, Angelo Donghia, Mark Hampton, Albert Hadley and Sister Parish, and so on. They were the masters of the “original” and knew the power of alchemy. They didn’t copy each other; they had their own point of view. They did, however, inspire me to get my own point of view.
What is the starting point in your personal design structure?
The starting point for me personally is no different than that of working with a client. The first thing is the choice of residence, the style of the structure and what it is about it that feels like home to me or the client. In my case, this house was traditional, compact, open and happy. I could see my family gathered in what I would make a happy space. I knew I would have to be true to the rooms and outdoor space that I felt would be my home. I liked what I saw, and the changes would be all about decorating.
You’ve lived here for twenty-six years. What was your first impression?
When I bought the home, I had just renovated a very large house in town, two blocks away from where I live now. I had sold the house and was looking for a place to live, and I saw this as an interim house because it felt small to me; I was used to living in a larger space. It was built in 1860, but it’s gone through several iterations. When I bought it, it had a Formica kitchen, linoleum tiles on the floor, pedestal sinks with metal rods in the bathrooms. Over the years, I’ve changed the dynamic of the house.
What were some interior changes that you made?
It had looked completely different than my aesthetic, so the first thing I did was paint everything white. I added some crown moldings where they were needed. I changed a lot of the interior doors, had mirrored doors built, made vanities and changed tiles in every bathroom. The kitchen is new. The fireplace was black slate, and I changed that to make it crisper and whiter. I cleaned and freshened up the palette, and then the space started to open up, and it felt completely different to me. The house has had a couple of iterations over the years, but not so much in terms of furniture. I have certain English pieces, some antiques that are very near and dear to me, and a lot of artwork I owned at the time, so it has evolved from a more traditional space, but a lot of the furniture is the same. The nightstands in my bedroom? I moved in with those. I’ve just made the palette fresher to be more reflective of the way I like design today, which is very much in line with what we do for clients.
What is your personal mindset when it comes to putting together your home?
It has to reflect me. In my case, it’s not hard since I’m very defined about what I like and what I draw close to me. This isn’t true of all people; many are guided by exteriors. I know what I like, and it’s instant.
Is there a particular style you’re drawn to?
I’m always looking at everything. I’m inspired by clear colors and simple grounds. Beautiful colors are like a magnet to me. I don’t look for perfect matches; I look for inspired combinations. I’m not a fan of “tricky” furnishings or fads. I love clean, classic and comfortable lines and combinations of pieces that work in harmony and scale. I don’t want what other people have. I admire a lot of talented people, but I need my own take and combination of things; it’s personal. I’ve spent my career being aware and open, and now I know what works for me.
What are the considerations you adhere to when purchasing things for your home?
I have to have a flashpoint of falling in love with whatever it is. It needs to be like that moment when you see a pair of shoes you know you need to own. It’s happened to me time and time again, whether it be a work of art, an accessory, a lamp or a small object. My home is very reflective of collections of items I’ve brought home from places all over the world. The thrill of bringing home a piece of my travel experience will certainly galvanize it in my mind.
What are some favorites from your travels?
I have quite a few pieces that I brought back from Egypt, like my marquetry boxes. The Egyptians work a lot in bone, so I have a lot of bone pieces I absolutely love, and I have collections of canopic jars. I was fortunate enough to have an elementary school teacher who was very much into Egyptology, and it really broadened my mind. Going to Egypt was a lifelong dream, so when I was there, I wanted to bring home everything. I brought back a phenomenal marquetry Egyptian stool with a woven top, and I literally carried it on the plane. It was one of those pieces where I said, “I have to own that.”
How do you approach the use of color in your home?
I love art, and to me, art is the expression of blown-out color, as opposed to crazy pillows. I don’t want my pillows to be art; I want my art to be art. In order for the art to really stand on its own, I set up white grounds. I like the simplicity of white upholstery. For instance, in my living room and family room, the sofas are all slipcovered in linen. I have a dog who has full run of the house, but I’m not going to not have beautiful, clean, crisp colors because I have a dog, so I implement things in a way that I can live with the colors and simplicity that I like and still have an animal. White is key to the setup and the grounding of a space.
Your outdoor living space is lovely. Was any of that existing?
I did all of it, and I’ve probably changed it two or three times. I put the pool in about eight years ago; before that, it was just a big brick patio. I’m really a gardener, so I’m out here all the time. Ganim’s Garden Center is phenomenal, and I haunt the place. I go there, buy all kinds of roses, bring them home and put them in myself. For the last three or four years, my whole garden has been just white flowers. I also had that garden shed designed and built, and I call it Monticello. It’s a little pretentious [laughs], but to me, the lines are so clean, it’s Monticello-looking.
Peeking into your office upstairs, I love all the books.
I love, love, love books, if you didn’t notice! I have a collection in here, in the family room, on a bookshelf in my bedroom. As a matter of fact, behind those books in the office, there used to be a large picture window that faced the house next door. After I got approval from the historical society, I reduced the size of the window, sheet-rocked over it and built this wall-to-wall bookshelf.
What look and feel did you want for your master bedroom?
I feel as though I’m surrounded by things that make me happy. For instance, that Louis Vuitton painting is such a common, iconic look, yet it has such a beautiful clarity of a million colors together that I love it. I also love the two stripe paintings. I have a thing for stripes—I don’t have any striped upholstery because it would be too overwhelming, so I like it in my art.
What is your idea of good design?
Good design happens when you’re true to your choice of space, the one you bought and want to live in, and it looks like “you” and your real lifestyle. It’s not what your friends have, but what suits you and your lifestyle. It’s being surrounded by your favorite colors, your favorite art and your cumulative life experiences. A good designer can pick up on all those cues and bring them forward. The obvious things such as comfort and scale go without saying.
What makes a home not so great?
A home is not so great when it looks like everyone else’s. When it’s so simple it’s clearly boring. When rooms are so perfect that no one uses them. When you’re paying for the whole thing, but only using a small part of it. It’s not complicated.
What makes a home great?
The first thing that comes to mind is that a home is great when you want to spend time in it. It’s a place that reflects you and your family. It’s a place where life happens, and nothing is precious. It’s a place where when things are worn out, it’s because they’ve been well-used. It’s a place where pets are welcome, and friends are thrilled to visit.
RESOURCES
Interior design: Patricia Healing, HB Home;
Westport, 203-226-8777;
New York City, 646-837-6422; hbhome.com