By the Book: Our Fall Interior Design Book Preview
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Our Fall Interior Design Book Preview:
Turn the page on a new season with a look inside 3 spectacular new books from top designers Robert Stilin and Sheldon Harte, and a special deep dive inside the design destination Palm Springs, with its unique, distinctly American style
by Marianne Litty
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Robert Stilin: New Work |
Since the publication of his first book, Robert Stilin: Interiors, six years ago, Robert Stilin’s work has spread far beyond his home base of New York City and the Hamptons. In Robert Stilin: New Work, he brings the signature elements of his aesthetic — strong, clean lines, warm, rich palettes, antique and vintage furnishings and works of contemporary collectible design, lush custom upholstery, combined with striking modern and contemporary art — to projects all over the country. Among the 12 projects featured in this book are homes in Seattle, Montana, Connecticut, and Palm Beach, in addition to lofts and apartments in New York and country and beach houses in the Hamptons. Whether the architecture is traditional, rustic, or ultramodern, Stilin’s interiors exude a casual, comfortable elegance.
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AT HOME IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY Stilin’s loft apartment in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn is his personal design laboratory, a continuous work in progress framed by thirteen-foot-tall windows with panoramic views of New York Harbor. He wanted to preserve the industrial feel of the space, leaving the ductwork exposed and columns with graffiti, scrapes, and paint spatters left intact. Above a 17th-century stone mantel, Picnic, a 2021 photograph by Tyler Mitchell, is flanked by shelves filled with books, pictures, and decorative accessories. Robert, who describes himself as “a hunter and a gatherer,” is drawn to all sorts of objects, both pedigreed and humble — objects with patina, interesting forms, and the mark of the maker’s hand. Ensconced by the window, a pair of lounge chairs in the manner of French Modernist designer Jean-Michel Frank offers seating for a tête-à-tête. A trio of Italian armchairs populate the main seating area: twin vintage 1956 ‘Fiorenza’ armchairs by Franco Albini sit across from each other, joined by Renzo Zavanella’s exuberant mouse-eared midcentury chair and a custom club chair. A sculptural aluminum and stainless-steel cocktail table, Billionaire Space Race by contemporary American artist Misha Kahn anchors the room. Photo © Stephen Kent Johnson |
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In the breakfast area of Robert’s apartment, Preparing For Tonight, 1982, by Neue Wilde artist Martin Disler hangs above a custom banquette. A 1950s French industrial brise-soleil louvered panel by Jean Prouvé is installed above an island of reclaimed pine. A round table and chairs form the perfect spot for morning coffee and morning light by the window, with a vintage French midcentury pairing of Guillerme et Chambron chairs and elmwood Pierre Chapo T02 table, circa 1962. An exquisitely sculptural, well-weathered Vladimir Kagan ‘Tri-Symmetric’ stool is circa 1955. Hand-contoured planks of white oak cover the original concrete floors in this 1910 warehouse formerly known as the New York Dock Building. Photo © Stephen Kent Johnson |
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AMERICAN RUSTIC, FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT Built in the 1960s with salvaged material from two barns, this modern farmhouse had been added to over the years, so when Robert Stilin’s clients purchased the property as a refuge during the pandemic, it had grown to 8,400 square feet. After five decades in the same hands, the house needed a refresh, but not a renovation, and Robert took great care to address his clients’ needs for updates while preserving the patina that made it unique. The décor of the house is eclectic, with pieces selected for comfort and visual appeal rather than adherence to any particular style. A large 1981 mixed-media work by Eugene Brodsky with a vibrant patchwork of images feels entirely at home in this rustic retreat. At left, a chrome-framed velvet sofa is attributed to the prolific California Modern designer Milo Baughman. At center, a custom sofa with mismatched side tables; at left, a 1940s industrial cart on casters; at right, a weathered beauty with a richly patinaed surface. Peaks and valleys in the design composition continue to flow, with mismatched vintage ceramic lamps accompanying each table. A hand-carved coffee table from the African Senufo tribe was originally a ceremonial bed; the shape on top was a headrest. The leather wing chair is by Danish Modern designer Børge Mogensen, designed in 1964. Photo © Tim Lenz |
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| The Refined Home: Sheldon Harte | |
Text by Mitchell Owens and Hadley Keller Copyright © 2025 The Vendome Press LLC and Harte Davis Interior Design Published by Vendome Press, November 2025 Available to pre-order through Vendome Press and Amazon |
The Refined Home: Sheldon Harte is the first book on the interiors of Sheldon Harte, founder of Harte Davis Interior Design. Coinciding with his recent 40th anniversary as an interior designer, the book features 13 unforgettable projects showcasing his luxurious, livable interiors. Throughout the West Coast and beyond, from sprawling wine-country estates to jewel box apartments in the city, beach houses to historical renovations, all illustrate his commitment to designing unique, bespoke interiors that transform spaces into functional works of art. Harte does not have a “look”; each project is an original expression of his clients’ taste refined through his artistic vision. The common thread is his keen understanding of form, function, scale, and craftsmanship, along with an exquisitely calibrated mix of antiques, vintage, custom creations, contemporary craft and collectible design, and art.
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FASHIONING A CONTEMPORARY APARTMENT, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA In this jewel box San Francisco pied-à-terre for his art collector, fashion-loving clients, classical millwork articulates the envelope, and a black and white color palette gives it modern edginess, yielding way to the clients’ collection of bold, color-saturated contemporary art. Above the fireplace is a 2007 painting by American Abstract Expressionist feminist painter Louise Fishman, whose vigorously worked canvases evoke the sheer physicality of painting. The ceiling is clad in silver tea paper, creating a shimmering, luminous effect. Contemporary Canadian studio Gabriel Scott’s Harlow chandelier projects a prism-like display with faceted blown glass set in smoked bronze settings, a look inspired by the world of jewelry. Facing the entryway on the left are a pair of 1930s André Arbus salon chairs. Arbus is considered one of the finest furniture makers of the twentieth century, whose distinctly French aesthetic was expressed in large symmetrical forms lavished with rich materials: intricate inlays, gesso, parchment, and fine wood veneer. Curved millwork with built-in shelves for books and decorative accessories creates a graceful transition from the foyer to this living/dining room. In a niche by the fireplace, a vintage beveled blue glass-framed mirror hangs above a brass paneled cabinet from Blackman Cruz. Nested cocktail tables, one in shagreen with brass inlays, one in glossy black lacquer, center the seating group, with the den and dining area, which overlooks the San Francisco Bay, just beyond. Photo © Trevor Tondro |
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ART AND ANTIQUES ON ALEXANDER’S CROWN, HERALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA For a newly built home in Sonoma County wine country, Sheldon Harte worked in tandem with the architect, choosing reclaimed French oak planks for the beam and floors, Venetian plaster walls, and subdued metal finishes framing the 10-foot windows and sliding doors. The look is relaxed and contemporary, yet decidedly polished. The great room fireplace is crowned with a vibrant collage by contemporary Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes. Sheldon collaborated with lighting design firm Paul Ferrante to custom craft the grid-frame chandelier with shades made of antique French linen. A mix of antique, vintage, and custom furniture makes a lively design conversation while a François-Xavier Lalanne sheep surveys the scene, including a cozy, commodious vintage Danish lounge chair upholstered in shearling. Lalanne’s first version of his whimsical, coveted ‘Mouton’ sculptures was dressed in shaggy, curly wool coats, this version, in epoxy stone and patinated bronze, designed in 1979, was created so they could be displayed alfresco. The patinated metal and fluted parchment shade ‘Pantheon’ floor lamp is by Italian designer Mauro Fabbro, 2016. Next to the sheepskin chair, a 1940s French round oak side table is by Charles Dudouyt, whose work spanned the periods from Art Deco to Modernism. Dudouyt combined elements of Art Deco with the rustic-inspired modern Post-War style, and was also influenced by African art and culture, incorporating bold geometric shapes and patterns and dark, earthy tones. A rustic carved wooden chair found in England dates to the 1500s. One of the most recognizable silhouettes in modern design, the vintage Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair was created in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen’s first skyscraper, with interiors and furnishings designed by Jacobsen. The custom Harte-Davis sofa is in a lushly tactile, nubby-textured alpaca bouclé. The limited edition ‘Gemini’ cocktail table is by Jean-Yves Lanvin, the great-grandson of perfumier and fashion house founder Jeanne Lanvin. The asymmetrical shape was inspired by the Gemini constellation, in reference to the designer’s June birthday, with three patinated bronze legs resembling jewelry prongs holding a rock crystal top. Photo © John Merkl |
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VINTAGE GLAMOUR IN RANCHO MIRAGE, THUNDERBIRD COUNTRY CLUB, In 1951, what was once an onion field in the Coachella Valley became the site of the legendary Thunderbird Country Club and Thunderbird Heights, the Rancho Mirage desert getaway community for Hollywood stars including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. Mid-century “Desert Modern” weekend homes were commissioned with the new, stylish, clean lines and expansive walls of glass to showcase the panoramic views of the San Jacinto mountains. Spaces designed for seamless Indoor-outdoor living with sliding doors opening to an expansive patio and sparkling swimming pool were de rigueur. When Sheldon Harte’s longtime client purchased this vintage home, it had undergone some less-than-sympathetic renovations in the preceding decades and needed a fresh start. The design changes, both structural and decorative, restored it to its former glory. Sheldon writes . . . “of all the projects I’ve completed in the desert, from Palm Springs to Indian Wells, this one comes closest to the aesthetic of those times.” In the living room, a pared-down creamy color palette integrates the spectacular views and colors of the desert into the design scheme. Period-appropriate poured terrazzo floors keep things cool underfoot, Venetian plaster walls and a cedar plank ceiling add texture and warmth, and the stone fireplace wall is original to the house, built in 1957. A suite of vintage ‘Barcelona’ chairs designed in 1929 by Mies van der Rohe joins with a pair of back-to-back William “Billy” Haines one-arm tufted ‘Valentine’ sofas, introduced in 1950. Billy Haines, film star of the 1920s and ‘30s turned decorator, designed homes for Joan Crawford and Gloria Swanson, and later, Ronald and Nancy Reagan. He also decorated the interiors for the nearby historic Sunnylands estate of Ambassador Walter and Lenore Annenberg, making the selection of his sofa design especially significant. In the foreground is Danish furniture designer Hans Wegner’s swoopy, three-legged walnut Shell Chair, designed in 1963. Harte introduced Space-Age silhouettes with an undulating white lacquer floor lamp and the iconic Arco floor lamp, a 1962 design by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. Photo © Trevor Tondro |
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Inside Palm Springs By Don Flood |
Inside Palm Springs offers a look into 22 homes, ranging from the 1920s Spanish Revival hacienda of King Gilette, inventor of the safety razor, to sleek Mid-Century Modern and Desert Modern classics by masters of the style including Richard Neutra, William Cody, Albert Frey and Donald Wexler, along with contemporary custom-built residences that carry on the mid-century tradition, including that of New York-based architect Steven Harris and interior designer Lucien Rees Roberts, complete with an underground garage to house Harris’s 21 rare vintage Porsches. The book’s stunning photography and vibrant prose capture the true essence of Palm Springs, one of the world’s greatest architecture and interior design destinations. The denizens of Palm Springs are serious about design, and that spirit reaches a crescendo every October and February during Modernism Week, when over 100,000 design-obsessed visitors descend upon the area for the opportunity to tour some of the best examples. What you see is uniquely American; Palm Springs is more than a style; it’s a lifestyle with design at its heart.
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STONEHEDGE, ANDREAS HILLS Unlike the flat-roofed, glass-walled boxes of Early Modernism, the Late Modernism style of the 1970s featured bisecting rooflines, larger, bolder, heavier spaces with high-angle plaster walls, and earth-toned color palettes using natural materials. Architect John Walling’s Stonhedge is a prime example of the style. Interior designer Sean Gaston and his husband and business partner Jim Jewell have worked on a slew of notable projects in the Palm Springs area; they purchased this home in 2017. In the sunken living room, a voluptuous vintage 1980s chenille channel sectional by prominent Palm Springs interior designer Steve Chase, whose clients included Farrah Fawcett, Johnny Mathis, Gene Hackman, and Gerald and Betty Ford. A pair of vintage 1970s sculptural thura burl wood club chairs sit opposite the sofa next to the fireplace, along with a 1960s rosewood and leather safari chair by Angel Pazmino for Meubles de Estilo, Ecuador. The vintage 1960s Anglo-Indian set of rosewood and jute stacking stools is by M. Hayat & Bros., made in Pakistan. A vintage round hammered brass and steel table holds a bulbous woven rattan and lucite lamp, vintage 1970s. Exposed pitched roof beams run across the room to the plaster-walled chimney breast, where a Modernist ceramic tile installation, original to the house, extends the full height of the room. Photo: Copyright © 2025 Dan Flood |
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INDIAN WELLS Built in 1961, this sleek William Cody-designed home overlooks Eisenhower Mountain in Indian Wells. The owner, a former Bay Area resident, attended Modernism Week in February 2019, and a month later, the house was hers. Built as the developer’s showhouse for the subdivision Desert Bel Air Estates, where this is located, it was meticulously restored by the previous owners and was sold furnished with vintage midcentury furniture. The current owner is interested in local preservation and has secured designated cultural landmark status for the property. She is currently seeking a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. After the release of his blockbuster Serpentine Sofa in 1950, Vladimir Kagan created his Floating Curved Sofa. The 1952 design united two of his favored elements, curves and sculptural carved wood frames. In a room where the crystalline desert light is everything, the open form lets light pour through and into the room. Beside the sofa is a true icon of midcentury design, Warren Platner’s side table for Knoll. In continuous production since its introduction in 1966, it’s made of many, many slender nickel-plated steel rods, forming both structure and lighter-than-air ornament. Atop the table, a vintage 1970s ‘Sculptura’ phone from Bell is a classic example of Pop Art’s influence on everyday consumer goods. Eye-catching and playful, it came in white, brown, and this piquant lemon yellow. The coffee table is a 1960s California redwood live edge, burl root beauty, resting on a white cowhide rug. The vintage lime green Papa Bear Chair and Stool are by Danish designer Hans Wegner. Debuting in 1951, this midcentury modern version of a wing chair with cantilevered armrests ending in wooden “paws,” is universally praised for its comfort. A massive kiva fireplace is a typical feature in southwestern desert homes, a necessity for chilly desert nights. Photo: Copyright © 2025 Dan Flood |
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RANCHO MIRAGE In the low-slung concrete and glass residence of interior designer Jean-Claude Huon, a sandblasted beam ceiling, the knots picked out in whitewash, plaster walls, and a rough concrete floor form a rustic, masculine envelope for a curated collection of art and vintage furniture. On the wall above the sofa is an early nineteenth-century Japanese screen, and a midcentury abstract painting is by Russian artist André Lanskoy. The vintage 1970s buffalo hide lounge chairs and sofa by de Sede, surrounding a hammered bronze frame glass-topped coffee table. The classic Eames lounge chair was conceived by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1956 and is still hugely popular today. Its iconic design combines a three-section molded plywood shell with soft but supportive leather cushioning. “The chair should have the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt,” Charles Eames said. Nearby, the Triennale floor lamp 12128, with its distinctive articulated arms, is by Angelo Lelii, designed in 1947 for Italian lighting manufacturer Arredoluce. Photo: Copyright © 2025 Dan Flood |
