Robert Couturier in his home office with his favorite Elmo in the background.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet famed architect and interior designer Robert Couturier who invited me into his elegant penthouse apartment to talk design. Couturier lives in modernist Soho building which also happens to house the offices of his bustling design firm. The building’s elevator transports you directly into his glorious apartment which is impeccably decorated with a mix of 18th century antiques, modern classics and an enviable art collection. (It will soon be published in an upcoming issue of Elle Decor) The space also possesses a sense of refinement that makes you feel as though you’ve entered the world of someone very important. French born, New York based Robert Couturier is one of the top decorators working today. He’s been designing lavish homes of the rich and famous for more than 30 years but perhaps his most high profile project was in the late 80s when billionaire tycoon James Goldsmith tapped the young decorator to design his sprawling, 20,000 acre palatial estate in Mexico. To this day Couturier counts that project as his most proud career milestone. You might expect a decorator who works the ultra rich and lives in a world where luxury and opulence rules to be stuffy and uptight but I found Couturier to be exactly the opposite. He’s gregarious, charming, funny and refreshingly down to earth. Quite the character, Couturier listens to Eminem, is addicted to The Real Housewives of Atlanta and counts his favorite furry Elmo doll as one of the things that makes him happy! I really enjoyed chatting with him and I’m thrilled to give you a little glimpse into our conversation…
The living room of hairstylist Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen’s Manhattan duplex designed by Robert Couturier
Tell me about some of your early design influences:
Growing up my grandmother and her husband used to have mostly 19th century French furniture and I remember when I was a young boy I had a friend that invited me to his house and it was completely modern. So imagine a modern house in France in 1974. It was something I had never known in my life and I just loved the idea of having an incredibly strong modern house. When I came to New York in the late 70s, the first apartment I did for myself was navy blue and white and was all modern. And then slowly I started buying antique stuff again so think I sort of go from one to the other. I’ve also been influenced in the modern way by Jean Michel Frank. I think his style is tremendous. Also Jacques Grange because I’ve known Jacques since I was really young and I always admired him. He was always the person to emulate and he has this fluidity to his style which is heavenly.
The late billionaire Jame’s Goldsmith’s palatial estate in Cuixmala, Mexico
What has been the most defining moment of your career thus far?
Probably the work I did for Jimmy Goldsmith in Mexico. It was unequaled. I’m not sure I’ll have the opportunity to do such a big job again. I don’t think they come that way anymore.
What do you mean?
I think in the 80s wealth was not a dirty word and I think being rich was something people aspired to in a nice way and I think now that has changed greatly. Now the rich are being very discreet in a way that they didn’t used to be.
A chic vignette inside Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen’s New York City Home
How do you think the design business has changed over the years?
I think it has changed enormously. I think decorators like me are dinosaurs and I think eventually we’re going to disappear. People now have accessibility to everything in a way that wasn’t possible years ago before the internet. Back then people had to go through us, through our eyes and our choices. Today all you have to do is go through the websites of all the designers you like, see what you like from each of them and then you go on websites like 1st Dibs where you can buy directly from the dealers, then you go on all the blogs and ask them for opinions and you can really do your homes without people like us. You know, we’re a luxury. We’re an added expense. If you’re very wealthy you don’t really need to do it yourself so you might go through people like us but otherwise, why?
But don’t you think there will always be a group of people who will hire a decorator?
Yes, there will always be but far less than before. I think the upper end market will always be there because people are too busy but all the mid-market is gone and I think decorators are going to have to find different ways to adapt.
What do you think completes a home?
I think the presence of art really completes a home.
The entry designed by Robert Couturier for Frederic Fekkai and Shirin von Wulffen
Let’s talk about some fun stuff. I hear you are a big fan of the Housewives series on Bravo?
Are you kidding, I’m completely addicted! Nene is my favorite!
I have to admit I don’t watch!
How can you not watch?!
I only watched the first season of the New York Housewives.
I like the one girl… the chef who now has another show.
Bethenny?
Yes, Bethenny, I like her!
What else do you watch?
I watch CNN all the time. That and Bravo.
Robert Couturier’s dining room in Connecticut
Do you read blogs?
I read blogs that mention me because they come to me in a Google alert. I also love Facebook. I’m on it all the time. I did twitter for a while and then I lost interest. I felt like I was screaming in the dark. Facebook is much more interesting and relevant to me.
What’s on your iPod?
Oh my god I have 19,000 pieces of music on my iPod! I love classical. My favorite composer in the world is Johann Sebatsian Bach. I don’t think I could live without him. I have mostly classical on my iPod but I like plenty of other music. I love Eminem! I think he’s so cool! I like what he says, I like the irony and I like how crazy he is! He’s fabulous!
A vignette inside the Connecticut home Couturier shares with his partner Jeffrey Morgan
Do you collect anything?
I collect everything! All my houses are full! I collect photography. I love china. I love silver. I’m a things person I guess. It’s funny though because even though I love to have things, if all the things disappeared I don’t think I would mind. I’m not attached to very much.
So if your house was on fire there’s not one special thing you’d want to take with you?
No because it’s all insured! I’ll take my dogs and that’s all I would worry about.
Robert Couturier inside his home office the day of our meeting
Do you have a favorite piece in your home?
Him! (He glances up on the wall and points to an 18th century English painting of a very dapper man) There’s so much story behind him. I like to say that his boyfriend paid for the painting!
What’s with the Elmo behind your desk?
I love it! He used to make me laugh so hard when it first came out. The company that fabricates it belongs to a client of mine and we were out to diner and I was talking about this and he says ‘I’ll send you one tomorrow!’
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
I have tremendous amounts of pleasures, but I’m not sure they’re guilty! I guess maybe I spend too much money…
Couturier next to one of his two closets filled floor to ceiling with custom-tailored suits from Douglas Hayward
What do you buy mostly?
I buy art. I always buy things I can’t afford. And my tailor.
Are all of your suits custom tailored?
Yes, it’s great. The shop that makes my suits is called Douglas Hayward in London. Another guilty pleasure is ice cream but the problem is that if I buy too much ice cream I won’t ever fit into my suits anymore!
Do you ever wear jeans?
Never. I wear suits every day and on the weekends I wear corduroys and a jacket. If I feel slightly overweight I don’t see it when I’m wearing a suit but if I have on jeans it might make me look like a mushroom top!
Currently on Couturier’s wishlist: Left – Cloud table by Joris Laarman. Right – Michael Eastman’s Havana portrait.
Is there anything you’re lusting after right now to curb your shopping addiction?
YES! You know the galleries Barry Friedman and Friedman Benda? They have the most beautiful contemporary art and furniture that you can find in the world and they have an exhibit at the moment of a photographer called Michael Eastman whose work I love. There’s one picture that he has of a house in Cuba which I would love to own. He has another artist called Joris Laarman. I love furniture that has an intellectual construct…I find it absolutely fascinating and Joris Laarman does that. He has a coffee table made of marble that’s actually a composition of clouds. He takes pictures of cloud formations and then translates the picture through the computer onto a piece of sculpted marble. I LOVE the idea of a cloud being made into a piece of marble. It’s so brilliant! I would love to have that too. I could just see it here!
Robert Couturier’s Kent, Connecticut house and garden.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When I’m not working I’m in the country. I usually go on Thursday or Friday afternoon and come back Monday morning. My boyfriend is there and my dogs are there and my life is there.
The premiere issue of Trad Home will hit virtual newsstands in April
Earlier this week I attended an exclusive dinner hosted by Traditional Home publisher Beth Brenner and Lonny editor-in-chief Michelle Adams who assembled a group of notable designers and industry influencers at Freemans to introduce the top 20 “New Traditional” designers to watch in 2011. The top 20 will be featured in the March issue of Traditional Home as in years past, while the inaugural issue of Trad Home (the digital Traditional Home/Lonny spinoff) will feature more extensive coverage of each of the designers and their work. Below is a look at the esteemed roster of this year’s young traditional designers to watch and if you’re interested in seeing a few fun photos from the Trad Home dinner check out this post from StyleBeat. Congratulations to all of the designers who were nominated!
Sara Gilbane – Sara Gilbane Interiors
Sasha Adler + Lauren Gold – Nate Berkus Associates
Lisa Sternfeld – Studio LSID
Jeff Andrews – Jeff Andrews Design
Jayne + Joan Michaels – 2 Michaels Design
Jamie Herzlinger – Jamie Herzlinger Interiors
Erika Powell – Urban Grace Interiors
Heidi Bonsteel, Michele Trout + Jill Hall – Bonsteel Trout Hall
Amanda Malson & Jolene Ballard – Domicile Interior Design
Tom Delavan – Tom Delavan Interior Design
Suysel dePedro Cuningham + Anne Maxwell Foster – Tilton Fenwick
Nicki Clendening + Calie Jenschke – Scout Designs
Ryan Korban – Ryan Korban Interior Design
Ron Marvin – Ron Marvin Design
Robert Passal – Robert Passal Interior & Architectural Design
Patrik Lonn – Patrik Lonn design
Nina Freudenberger – Haus Interior
Amy D. Morris – Amy D. Morris Interiors
Megan Rice Yager – Megan Yager Design
Kim Winkler – Westbrook Interiors
One of the booths at the NYIGF that I was eager to check out was John Robshaw. I’m a huge fan of his ethnic block printed textiles and I especially love his bedding collections so imagine my delight when I approached his booth and found John himself making one of the display beds! A consummate perfectionist, John was re-making the bed because, as he says, “the quilt wasn’t laying quite right.” (I snapped a few photos of him in action so I could study his technique – He likes to stack his pillows, FYI!)
Robshaw’s booth showcased his bedding, bath, pillows, tabletop, travel, clothing, window coverings and giftables for spring and as usual his latest offerings for are perfection!
The bedding seen here is a new introduction called Matar. That sublime coral color was seen all over the spring fashion runways and now you can incorporate it into your home too! I think Robshaw’s choice of patterns and colors are always stunning!
This bed featured a mix of patterns but my favorite is the one near the front with the green, periwinkle and marigold colored Indian floral pattern called Ludoli. The others are a mix of Gent’s Stripe, Stitched (solid white with the moss green embroidery) and Metallic linen which can all be found at JohnRobshaw.com.
I loved this colorful mix of cotton ikat pillows. (I told you ikat isn’t over!)
The pillows on the left here feature hand painted Indian inspired floral and animal motifs while the black and white pillows on the right showcase traditional African mudcloth prints.
I also really like the idea of mixing a few of these colorful picture frames in with your traditional silver frames – it would make for an eclectic display of your family photos!
John’s inspiration for these stylish cotton and canvas travel bags was Jack Nicholson’s voyage through the Sahara in the movie The Passenger.
There were also plenty of travel pouches, passport covers, luggage tags and chic stationery travel accessories and accessories and paper goods. You can shop the entire John Robshaw spring collection here.
“I never quite understood why interior design in the traditional sense has no sex appeal.”
New York based “it” designer Ryan Korban loves creating spaces that exude sexy, something he feels there’s not enough of in the design world. His own 550 square foot apartment is a testament to his fresh, sexy and fashion forward take on interior design. Swathed in fur, silk, chrome, brass, marble and exotic materials like shagreene and zebra, Korban’s place oozes sexiness and luxury. For him, design is about creating a fantasy and his approach is certainly one that breaks the traditional mold. He’s the first to admit he doesn’t have a lick of formal training and he’d much rather shop the Brooklyn Flea than the D&D. But then again, breaking the mold is what Korban is all about. Even his appearance – with his long black hair, grungy rock star dress code and veil of mysteriousness – suggests he’s not your typical interior designer. It’s no wonder downtown “cool kids” like fashion designer (and Korban’s BFF) Alexander Wang, actor James Franco, Karl Lagerfeld muse Vanessa Traina and of-the-moment models Jessica Stam and Natasha poly all count Korban as their go to decorator.
Recently, I caught up with Ryan to talk design and he was kind enough to share photos of a stunning and sexy space he designed for hip British fashion mag Another Magazine held at Milk Studios’ Penthouse during fashion week. Read on to hear more more about the Milk Penthouse project, his love of luxury and why he strives to bring more sex appeal to interior design…
Tell me a little about the space you designed for the Another magazine dinner at Milk.
The dinner was held in Milk Studios’ amazing penthouse. I’ve been to many events there so it was exciting to get my hands on it. When Jefferson Hack and Another Magazine wanted to collaborate on their annual Fashion Week dinner in the space I was thrilled. I really wanted to approach the space as an actual residential penthouse. The idea of entertaining at home with the best of taste.
What was the mood you were trying to create?
I was trying to create a sexy, luxurious, casual space. An extremely posh environment where people used the luxury and didn’t just stand around it. Sitting on fur, lounging on zebra skins. We really wanted it to feel like a dream experience. A dinner where the design felt extremely high end, but the idea of formal only related to the quality of food and decor and not the way people were expected to behave.
Sexy is a word that immediately comes to mind whenever I see a space that you designed and that sex appeal seems to be a common thread across all of your work. Is that intentional?
I am so happy you say that. Sexy is something I try to convey in everything I do. I never quite understood why interior design in the traditional sense has no sex appeal. To me I love playing with three main ideas: sexy, fantasy and romance. I love feeling like a different person because of the environment I’m in. Its similar to what people strive to achieve through their choice of clothing.
You also use a lot of exotic and opulent materials and lots & lots of fur which I think adds a sense of drama and glamour to your spaces. Why do you choose to bring such an abundance of luxurious materials into every day spaces?
I do this because I think opulent materials and exotics felt like a privileged thing for so long. It felt like luxury that was locked away or only reserved for the uber elite. The idea of beating luxury up and making opulence feel urban felt really young and fresh to me. For me it’s no longer about the trophy living room you cant actually live in, it’s about using fur on the floor or beating up a silk settee. Its what I have always responded to and I find it so desirable. Its how I live and how my friends live.
You’re known for mixing high & low and I hear you’re a huge fan of the chic, high-end antiques shop Flair with whom you collaborated to design this space. We all love high end but what are some of your favorite budget conscious shopping haunts?
Who doesn’t love high end!! And Flair is my ultimate oasis, I never do a space with out using them, I have yet to find a retailer in the world that speaks so directly to my aesthetic. I also enjoy finding very inexpensive items. The mixing of high and low is important to my career because I do have a fairly young client base. I love flea markets. I love finding old furniture in Brooklyn at and at Housing Works around New York City. Nothing is more exciting than taking a dumpy old sofa and transforming it.
I hear you have no formal training…when did you officially become a designer?
This is true! I can not draft a floor plan for the life of me, but I truly believe good taste can help you start any creative career. I started when I began to study European history in school as well as art and realize enviorments were what I wanted to create. I began by designing my first store in Tribeca and realized, “Hey, I can do this!”
And you’re only 26! How has all of the recognition you’ve received in such a short time impacted you and your business?
Its amazing, but its not something I dwell on I just keep moving forward. I am pretty hard on myself and my business. I think if you get too excited you’ll get side tracked so I’m always on to the next. Its a great frame of mind to have for this type of business.
What ha been your most proud moment in your career thus far?
Every time a potential clients sends back a signed proposal I think “wow, I did it again”. The fear is that they will stop coming!
Do you have a dream project you’d like to take on?
I think my dream is to keep doing what I am doing…Its for this not to end. A fantasy would be re-doing Kensington palace when Princess Diana was alive.
What’s next for you?
I am currently in the middle of two designer flagship stores in New York. One in Soho and the other on upper Madison Ave, so that is keeping me pretty busy along with my residential work.
Top Photo: The Selby. Remaining Photos: Carly Otness/Billy Farrell Agency
L-R: Vicente Wolf, Thom FIlicia, Laura Kirar, Jonathan Adler
The New York Times Store recently released a series of images from its 100+ year old photo archive, many of which have never been seen before and to celebrate, the Times tapped 5 celebrated interior designers Laura Kirar, Kelly Wearstler, Vicente Wolf, Jonathan Adler and Thom Filicia to curate a selection of 10 photos from the archive that reflects their design aesthetic and appreciation for the use of photography in interiors. The collection is called 50 Photographs and is now available for purchase at The New York Times Store. I attended the launch party at the Staley-Wise Gallery on Monday and it was chock full of design stars including the 50 Photographs guest curators (minus Kelly Wearstler), style icon Iris Apfel, design maven Charlotte Moss, newly appointed Architectural Digest editor-in-chief Margaret Russell (sporting a cast on her right leg!), Barney’s Creative Director (& Jonathan Adler’s husband) Simon Doonan and fashion designer Naeem Kahn. Below are a few fun snaps from the party along with a several of images from the collection including my favorites from Jonathan Adler who chose nine photos of chic people wearing masks at high-society parties plus one of the New Jersey Turnpike. Says Adler, “I like to look at pictures of glamorous people having fun in kooky outfits and then when I get too carried away I like to remind myself of where I came from – hence the Jersey turnpike picture.” Check out the photos below and be sure to check out the full collection here. I just might have to add Adler’s whimsical pick featuring the masked leopard people to my own collection…so chic!
Left: Iris Apfel and husband Carl Apfel. Right: Laura Kirar
From L-R: Gallery Co-Owner Etheleen Staley, Margaret Russell, Naeem Kahn and wife Ranjana.
Left: Charlotte Moss. Right: Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler
Oversized Cars, 1954, Eddie Hausner/The New York Times (Vicente Wolf)
Geisha – Tokyo, 2001, Gary Knight/VII (Vicente Wolf)
Park Benches, Vincent Laforet/The New York Times (Kelly Wearstler)
The Steeplechase, 1939, Andrew Herman (Laura Kirar)
World’s Fair Dinosaur Dismantled, 1965, Robert Walker/The New York Times (Laura Kirar)
Leopard People, 1966, Larry C. Morris/The New York Times (Jonathan Adler)
Going Groucho, 1974, John Sotomayor/The New York Times (Jonathan Adler)
Summer Reflections, 1997, Suzanne De Chillo/The New York Times (Thom Filicia)
