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MARCH | PAGE 42 | 2014 How has travel influenced your style? Did you come away with anything unexpected from your recent experiences in Morocco or Paris? The color of a chalky pot in Yves Saint Laurent's garden in Marrakech: I was struck by Yves' use of color, using bright and very saturated colors to paint the clay pots in his garden, which was both unexpected and beautiful at the same time. It just worked. Other things that have stood out in my travels are the color of a door in Paris, the shawl of a Roman woman looking out from the balcony of Hotel San Rafael in Rome at the rooftops beyond — a lesson in scale, it could literally be anything or nothing. ON WORK: Tell me about your process when designing for a client. Do you start out with a certain vision that you'd like to create? It's not necessarily my vision, it's theirs. I help them assemble the separate pieces (taste, lifestyle, budget) of the puzzle into a cohesive whole that they can still claim their own. It's definitely a collaborative effort. Tell us about a project of which you are particularly proud. A major gut and remodel for Kathi and Brian Stringer, two of the most formidable persons of taste and style in this city or anywhere. With whom do you frequently collaborate? What makes for a good collaboration? Architect Michael Landrum and designer Garrett Hunter, who both share my love for open dialogue and humor, which sometimes lead to great ideas. How do you work with a space? Do you create around a certain piece — say, a sofa or table? Do you have a formal or informal process for pulling spaces together? There is no set formula or design process. It could be a chair, a color or the space itself — ultimately, it's the clients that help dictate how the process flows. My design work arises from an innate need for self- expression, whether it be interiors, cooking conversation, etc. … all of which require a measure of self restraint. It's about the choices one makes, the attempt to impose order upon your environment. On your current residence: Tell us the basics. I purchased my latest residence in Raintree Place about five years ago, just two doors down from my previous residence that I also remodeled. I essentially opened the space, poured concrete floors downstairs, reconfigured the kitchen and updated the bathrooms. In the backyard, I resurfaced the pool while adding a "disco light" for my interior pool light and recovered the pea gravel with a deck made of Ipe. The idea was to create a more open floor plan for entertaining and a more contemporary lifestyle and environment for myself and my son, Stuart. Favorite pieces of art? A Surrealist work from the estate of an original Menil trustee, as well as a line drawing of Marlene Dietrich from the Herb Wells estate. I'm also very intrigued with a collage by Kelly O'Connor from The David Shelton Gallery. Favorite piece of furniture? A red Venetian marble dining table with an iron base from the estate of an antique dealer. What's next for you in life and work? Who knows? That's the adventure. LIGHTER FARE: Design books. Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel • The World of Madeleine Castaing • Billy Baldwin Remembers • London Interiors • David Hicks: A Life of Design. Websites. David Hicks France • Blackmon Cruz. Local design sources. George Cameron Nash • Donghia • Ellouise Abbott • Walter Lee Culp • Kirby and Company • Brown and Company. National Design Sources. Blackmon Cruz • Design Within Reach. International Design Sources. David Hicks, Paris • Colette, Paris • Paris Flea Market • The Souk, Marrakech. Entertaining. Keep it simple! I also like "the perfect bite." • I like to serve a nice selection of wines and cheese, a beautiful salad and a pasta dish, mushroom risotto or truffled eggs, and dark chocolates for something sweet. • Time: Anytime after 6:30 pm. Size: My preference is around six people, which is very conducive to fun and interactive dialogue and conversation. Playlist. Seu Jorge's The Life Aquatic: Studio Sessions • Massive Attack's Protection • Darkside's Darkside. Clockwise from top: A wall in the office\sitting room off the master is devoted to a salon- style hanging of art that Cathy has gathered throughout the years, centered around the focal piece Vacant, Pretty by the street artist Give Up — a gift from a friend. The French neoclassical settee is covered in a Clarence House raw silk and draped with a multicolored vintage Afghani tent hanging, two olive-colored mohair pillows and a collection of needlepoint pillows procured from the Herb Wells estate. Waterworks crystal column lamps. Clutch and purse collection from Bottega Veneta and others. Antique mounted skull with horns in the upper entry, with a collection of hats from Ralph Lauren and Hermès. A tight tabletop view in the bistro shows books topped with silver from the Herb Wells estate, rock crystal, Limoges, hand-blown glass votives and a miniature tea set that belonged to Cathy's mother.