What single design element most affects an interior?
Light, no question. Without it, nothing comes alive. What’s so much fun about working in Boston is the gorgeous, pure architecture that’s the next best thing to Paris. But without proper light, a lot of these spaces have no life. At night, table lamps alone will not do justice to a music room on Beacon Hill. What are the dominant trends? I’m a bad person to ask. I don’t know what’s in. I used to be a fashion designer. The idea was to put something together that people will throw away in a couple of years, so they will buy something else. But when I use fabrics in this business, I hope people will have them forever. If you get an interior the way you like it, it should be eternal. I read of a designer who used Harris tweed for carpeting. Do you do anything this eccentric? Hopefully, always. That’s what makes people’s interiors fun for them and why they often hire a professional. They can buy things themselves that may fit well, but there’s no soul. If there isn’t some humor or some slap
