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The Direction Of Design
By William Kissel
Coco Chanel once remarked that fashion is not just about clothing. “Fashion has to do with ideas, with the way we live, with what is happening,” noted the great French couturier. Today’s top architects and interior designers share that sentiment by creating public and private spaces that speak to the occupants and convey a sense of home without falling victim to fads. We asked three of America’s top designers to share their theories on putting together pleasing environments for modern living — whether for a home, hotel room, or restaurant.
Peter Marino
Architect
Famed New York architect Peter Marino has always believed in the integration of architecture and fine art, a formula he used most effectively early in his career on the dramatic Milan apartment of Giorgio Armani. Over Marino’s ensuing 35-year career, he has worked on homes for hundreds of equally prominent patrons, as well as created groundbreaking retail spaces for top brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Most recently he has become a big proponent of the cross-fertilization of materials between retail and residential. as Marino explains: “If I invent a new material for a building for Chanel, I don’t see why the same material can’t be used for a kitchen in Palm Beach.”
Celebrated Living: What materials do you like to see in homes and interiors now?
Peter Marino: Stone. Wood. Woven textiles. Hand-painted lacquers, even hand-painted paint. I like a lot of plaster finishes and textures. It’s sort of what I’m known for — really luxurious materials and modern architecture. Some people think modern has to be concrete. But that’s only one side of modern. I feel bad in those spaces with concrete and steel and glass; they don’t give my soul any food.
CL: Are there other distinctive elements that define all of your spaces?
Marino: Probably the combination of something modern with something antique. I never do historic reproductions where something is just perfect of the time because I think that’s dumb.
CL: Do you find your work becomes more masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the client?
Marino: My taste tends to be masculine to begin with. Chintz is not on my radar screen. Subsequently I don’t attract frou frou clients. Even the women who come to me have more masculine tastes. The funny thing is I always tell my staff not to be afraid to use the word “pretty.” ... Some buildings are just pretty and there is nothing wrong with that.
CL: Do men and women want different things in terms of design?
Marino: Men want design to somehow be an expression of their success. They start out saying they are interested in comfort and simplicity, and I laugh a year later when I’m saying to them, “You know this is not Buckingham Palace, sir.” They never just say, “I want something grand.” for women, even successful women, that is less important. Women are very specific about their wants, their colors, the texture of fabrics. They want it highly personalized, like their clothing.
CL: Are there secrets to incorporating artwork in interior design?
Marino: The art in a room can completely overpower everything if you give it too much space. It can also lose its power completely if you don’t give it the right treatment. Generally speaking, if a painting is powerful it needs a larger space, or if a piece is subtle it needs to be shown in a smaller environment.
CL: Any predictions about the future of design?
Marino: We’ve just come from a period when architecture was going toward minimal ism to the point of sterility. Now I see a huge Baroque revival. It’s still in the modernist vein, but it has more movement than I would have done five years ago. In the past Baroque was followed by rococo. are we going to have a rococo revival next, where things get frilly? I don’t know. But I find the current Baroque revival just thrilling; I can’t wait to see where the trend will go.
Clodagh
Clodagh Design
She’s been called a “Diva of Minimalism” and a “Zen Master,” among other monikers. But Clodagh, the singularly named Irish interior designer, prefers to think of herself in less restrictive terms. She says clients gravitate to her spare, chic designs because they factor in the mind, body, and soul of the person living in the space. Among her credits are The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club’s White Horses Spa in her native Ireland, and the Goldeneye spa in Oracabessa, Jamaica, where Ian Fleming crafted all his James Bond novels. Her newest book, Clodagh Your Home, Your Sanctuary (Rizzoli), out this October, shows readers how to create a harmonious yet practical home.
Celebrated Living: Describe your design style.
Clodagh: I always try to factor in the three elements — earth, fire, and water — because it’s very feng shui. Fire is light in feng shui, so it can be a candle or a light of some kind. We use earth in terms of concrete or wood or metal, those things that come from earth. And clear moving water indicates prosperity. Coincidentally, the color black also represents water in feng shui, so New Yorkers should be incredibly prosperous, don’t you think?
CL: What secrets of the trade can people pull off themselves at home?
Clodagh: Strip! One thing they can do is strip everything out of the room and very slowly put everything back, and that way they can see if they really need it after all. Most people over-treat their windows, so they should strip them and replace any layered fabrics with some very simple shades for a cleaner look. Finally, in the bedroom, one of the freshest things you can do is strip your bed and put on new bedding. It’s a big block of change in an instant.
CL: What’s the best way to give an interior feel to an outdoor space?
Clodagh: If you have a decorative terrace or garden, one of the easiest things to do is put a fire bowl in the yard. It’s such a primeval thing to have a fire in your garden. another way is to place your furniture conversationally so it becomes more comfortable to gather and talk. You have to be careful in choosing your furniture because if you live by the sea you don’t want to use metal you’re going to have to repaint every year. I also like small water features, perhaps a highly polished piece of granite with water bubbling from it to create a wonderful sound in a garden.
CL: What mistakes should one try to avoid in creating an outdoor living space?
Clodagh: Don’t go to a nursery and think you need 72 varieties of plants. The best thing to do is figure out what will look good seasonally, so in the spring you might have lilacs, and wild grasses for the winter. It’s best to simplify what you do because there is always so much going on outside anyway. I also don’t like to use too much green outdoors because nature does it so much better.
CL: What do you see as some of the next big design trends for the home?
Clodagh: It’s really not a trend as much as a movement, the whole sustainable environment movement. I think people are beginning to realize, and be aware of, what they buy, where it’s made, where the wood comes from, et cetera. We’re also moving toward more comfort, and that means more communal dining tables and open kitchens and larger gathering spaces. We’re becoming more conscious of materials and how they wear. We’re looking for durability, so why not bring some of these beautiful outdoor fabrics indoors?
David Rockwell
Rockwell Group
Architecture and design as theater come almost naturally to David Rockwell, who spent his formative years working in community repertory productions. He later parlayed that interest in theater into a design career with his New York-based firm, Rockwell Group, which, in addition to restaurants, hotels, resorts, and retail spaces, has also created the sets for a number of Broadway shows, including Legally Blonde and Hairspray. In addition to such landmarks as Hollywood’s Kodak Theater, where the Oscars are held, and Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida, Rockwell’s productions include the Canyon Ranch Living residential community in Miami and celebrated chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant , Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. He’s also part of the architectural team designing MGM Mirage’s new $7.8 billion CityCenter complex in Las Vegas.
Celebrated Living: You work in so many design mediums, how would you define your signature style?
David Rockwell: We try not to have a particularly discernable style, but what connects all of our projects is an exploration of movement. We think very much about planning spaces as choreography, and we pay a lot of attention to the sense of entrance and how you move through the space. For instance, at Nobu 57 [in New York] the downstairs has its own personality, and when you go upstairs the design thins out so most of your attention can be focused on the food.
CL: What design trends are important now in all aspects of design, whether residential or restaurants?
Rockwell: Technology. We have a small technological SWAT team in-house now just to look at ways we can weave technology into projects to create an emotional connection. At Adour, for instance, there is an interactive sommelier that allows you to explore the origins of more than 500 wines so you can get a deeper knowledge of wine while sitting at the bar. We are already seeing this same kind of technology in homes, that can now recognize you and even know what temperature you like things. Even the seamlessness among all our gadgets, computers, televisions, and sound systems — it’s becoming easier for technology to conform to our personal preferences.
CL: What is the secret to creating a warm and welcoming space, be it commercial or residential?
Rockwell: Staying open to new ideas; being curious is critical. One principle would be to explore different ways to light a room. Explore up-lighting on the floor, bouncing off the ceiling. Explore different textures with light; if you have a brick surface, try putting a light next to it and letting the light bounce off. Put a folding screen behind a sofa with light and an area rug, and you can create a room within a room. Also, I think right now is a time to embrace more personality and eccentricity in design. It’s not a time to think of design as an even canvas that paints everything the same way, but allows for highs and lows in color, materials, and textures.
CL: What qualities do you like to see in a hotel room versus a home?
Rockwell: A hotel should be interesting so that each night you can pick a fantasy where you want to stay. I particularly like hotel rooms that offer interesting design solutions .... A hotel is about flexibility, it’s about lighting, and especially great bedding — that’s key. Why do you think so many hotels now are selling their own bedding?
CL: What are some of the major differences you must consider when designing a public space versus a private residence?
Rockwell: Durability. You have to take into account how much wear and tear the thing is going to get. In a hotel lobby, for instance, you deal with many people and many activities that you would never have in your home.
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