Los Angeles-based interior designer and artist Thomas Schoos’ work beckons the words “energetic, eccentric, avant-garde.” Jolts of strong color – every interior door of his three-bedroom Austin penthouse is painted a different hue – act as exclamation points that signal the theme of each space.

In the dining room, for instance, a pair of exuberant orange wingbacks are the center of conversation, and in the main living space, two chairs the color of green leaves add a serene note.

Filled with artwork collected from around the country as well as custom pieces conjured by Schoos, the penthouse becomes a sculptural showpiece where everything, from the balls of the chandelier in the living room that are suspended by invisible fishing wire to the kitchen island whose bottom is illuminated, appears to be floating.

All is designed to foster the illusion. The hinges on the interior lacquered doors, for instance, are cleverly concealed, the wide-plank oak floors are honed to hush their presence and the caramel-color sofa in the living room is modular so sitters can see all the way around the space and embrace the concept of the house in the sky.

The primary suite, where the swing sways at the foot of the bed, is the focal point of the penthouse, the place where, much to Schoos’ surprise, everyone tends to gather.

And no wonder. In addition to the swing, there is a TV whose back doubles as a mirrored headboard for the bed and an elaborate Art Nouveau chandelier that Schoos turned into an illuminated ceiling sculpture. A trio of enormous sliding doors, adorned with larger-than-life photos of dancing women, separates it from the bath, which features a tub covered in linen fabric and an astounding view of downtown through a wall of glass.

The project, which took Schoos two and a half years to complete, is one of his favorites. “I don’t see it as daring at all,” he declares. “It is playful, but there’s a seriousness to it that makes it special, and it tells an adventurous story.”

Photography by Chase Daniel.

For more like this Austin penthouse, be sure to check out Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s Paris apartment.

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A husband and wife who love entertaining had high expectations for their new home in the Southwest—perfect Arizona sunsets, a view of city lights, an open layout with indoor/outdoor flow, and staggeringly beautiful desert canyon views.

These and other luxuries make the custom home fit its name: “The Hideaway.” Once you arrive, why would you want to leave? The residence is stocked with everything for a relaxing recharge.

The homeowners hired Erik Peterson of PHX Architecture to design this project in the Silverleaf section. Peterson and team took advantage of the steep slope to provide striking views from multiple levels, both inside and outside. The expansive patio includes several smaller gathering spaces, not just one big swath of stone.

Throughout the home, from the Great Room to the bedroom, all-natural gas fireplaces invite peace and relaxation. The kitchen is carefully incorporated into the airy flow—instead of cooking behind closed doors, dinner can be a group project. A fully appointed wine room is stocked for every occasion, and a lower-level bar offers spacious, temperature-controlled wine units.

This Scottsdale residence has a primary bedroom suite tailored for slumber and serenity; it connects to a private spa. The home also has three more bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

The architect even put a “guest casita” outside. Call it a hideaway within a hideaway—a smaller patch of perfect with its own windows on the world.

Photography by Dino Tonn.

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Celebrities such as Madonna, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have been photographed wearing Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s often-irreverent designs, which include dresses emblazoned with Barack Obama’s visage and coats made of sewn-together blankets, teddy bears and plush Kermit the Frog toys. “My style is composed of a huge energy of curiosity,” he explains.

Currently the artistic director of the United Colors of Benetton men’s and women’s collection, de Castelbajac, who is affectionately known as JC/DC, also lends his creative vision to a wide array of products from skateboards to automobiles, home furnishings and fine art – all distinguished by the primary colors he so adores. “We are in a world where everything is possible,” he states, noting the line between fashion, art and home design has evaporated. “I surf on the wave of all the generations.”

De Castelbajac conjures many of his creations at home, which he shares with his wife, Pauline de Drouas, and their nearly three-year-old daughter. For the past few years, they have resided in a spacious, light-filled apartment in a 19th-century building in Paris’ 17th arrondissement – his 23rd home in the city. “Each apartment was like the scene of a new theater,” he confesses. “A sentimental shelter.”

The self-described nomad was instantly drawn to the third-floor unit’s high ceilings and windows that face every direction, admitting natural daylight that changes throughout the day. Equally important, “There are no ghosts,” he notes. “In Paris, the vibration of the past is powerful, but this place is free and totally inspiring, a good place for creativity.”

Rendered in white walls, the space is a gallery-like backdrop for his own creations alongside art and design by luminaries such as Diane Arbus, David Shrigley and August Sander. “It’s an emotional crossroads,” he explains. “To create, I need to be surrounded by the vibration of the emulation of the experience that I had before.”

Indeed, since he exploded into the cultural zeitgeist in the 1970s, the iconic French nobleman, fashion designer and artist has collaborated with a veritable Who’s Who of renowned artists, including provocateurs like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Robert Mapplethorpe. “I love to work with people who have a different vision from mine, because it’s a way of bringing danger and excitement into creativity,” he describes.

De Castelbajac designed not only the multicolored, striped area rug but also the bold-hued pillows on the mismatched sofas – just a few of his many creations throughout. “Most of the apartment is a manifesto,” he admits. “A mirror.”

While he has always maintained a presence in Paris, he’s pondering a change of scenery for his next home, envisioning a more spacious abode and separate artist factory in the suburbs, a sort of retreat for his family and friends to gather at and play. “The secret to never getting old is to have fun,” he states. “That’s why my life is vibrant.”

Photography by Mark C. O’Flaherty.

For more like this, be sure to check out this eclectic Brooklyn Brownstone.

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Michelin-starred chef, Shaun Hergatt is set to make a triumphant return to South Florida, curating the food and beverage concept at The Perigon in Miami Beach. Nota, a private oceanside restaurant, will be Hergatt’s first-ever Mediterranean concept, while FiftyThree, a speakeasy cocktail lounge, will have a bold, playful style.

“Food brings people together and through this partnership with Mast Capital, I’m thrilled and honored to further elevate the experience for the residents at The Perigon,” said Chef Shaun Hergatt. “Paying homage to the regional flavors and ingredients, our rotating seasonal menus will offer an elevated yet approachable cuisine, exclusive to residents and their guests.”

Taking advantage of the oceanfront location and abundance of rich, local ingredients, Nota at The Perigon is centered around a clean, crisp palate. With seafood anchoring the Mediterranean-inspired menu, Chef Hergatt plans to use woodfire grilling techniques to create dishes that are elevated yet approachable, with health and wellness at the forefront.

The interiors of Nota were designed by Tara Bernerd to blend into the larger residential concept at The Perigon. The design will incorporate rich materials from intricate stones to linens. The furniture will integrate a unique combination of organic materials with subtle hues that cohesively blend to the environment of coastal living on the sands of Miami Beach. The oceanfront restaurant will accommodate up to 70 guests, with service extending to the pool deck.

The speakeasy, FiftyThree, will experiment with bold colors and patterns, embracing a whiskey-themed palate. Darker browns and greens will set a more intimate mood, featuring bronze fixtures and accents creating the perfect nighttime setting. The cocktails will also embody a more playful aesthetic, while focusing on fresh ingredients and creative curations.

“We are designing more than a condominium at The Perigon, it is a private, highly serviced five-star resort exclusively for the owners,” said Camilo Miguel, Jr., CEO of Mast Capital. “The Perigon is offering Miami Beach’s first-ever resident-only Michelin-starred chef dining concept, where residents can enjoy their privacy or mix and mingle with their neighbors. Additionally, our partnership with such a notable chef as Shaun Hergatt further solidifies the commitment to the quality of luxury, The Perigon will offer to its residents.”

Photos courtesy of The Boundary.

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The epitome of summertime chic, the Hamptons conjures up images of sunshine, sand, surf, and effortlessly elegant retreats. But when Emily Del Bello was contracted to design a Bridgehampton beach house, it took one meeting with the husband and wife to know this seasonal Hamptons home would be anything but typical.

“They’re both cultured and have impeccable taste,” explains Del Bello, “and she is unbelievably fashionable, which gave her a natural inclination to let us push the boundaries and curate furniture that you just don’t see every day.” One shopping trip and a design presentation later, Del Bello was essentially given free rein with just two requirements: the furnishings had to be durable enough to withstand the kids and their friends, and the wife wanted a classic blue-and-white color palette in the main bedroom. The designer was happy to oblige – she and her team scoured the globe for unique finds, bringing in one-of-a-kind and vintage furnishings from Paris and London.

The visual odyssey starts at the entrance – a double-height ceiling painted a bright white stuns before drawing the eyes to a sculptural Avenue Road console under a shapely, vintage mirror from Paris. The space transitions into a light and airy, beach-happy family room that opens up to the pool. Custom designs, such as a beautifully tailored sofa upholstered in an outdoor fabric from Holly Hunt and a striking marble coffee table with blue-toned swirls that recall the ocean, offer a distinct, nuanced appeal. Despite its elevated charm, the room was designed to encourage a relaxed lifestyle. “The kids can literally throw themselves up on the sofa and put their feet up on the coffee table,” she says. The kitchen also exudes an elegant, coastal allure with a cosmopolitan flair. A striking brushed oak breakfast table designed by architectural firm Yabu Pushelberg for Avenue Road is paired with brilliant white wicker chairs upholstered in a classic striped Schumacher fabric. Braided jute lights over the table provide the room’s functional jewelry, and the application of the coarse fibers in a refined manner is echoed in the jute-wrapped pendant lights over the island—enhancing the beachy vibe.

The living room presents as more formal yet is equally inviting. “We created a circular seating area that feels welcoming and encourages conversation to flow,” she says. The rug’s raised silk pile creates a sense of movement evocative of water. A conversation-starting coffee table from Cassina and Hans Wegner’s enduring Circle chair complement the curvilinear sofa. A gorgeous lime wash finish by Heather Jozak adorns the walls– adding texture and perfectly playing off the sofa’s shimmery Pierre Frey fabric. The mirrors, by Brazilian artist Tomas Graeff, were a serendipitous Instagram discovery. “They’re made of driftwood the artist finds on the beach that he then bends and sculpts to his liking – they’re so special and have this immense scale to them,” explains Del Bello.

The home’s singular aesthetic is continued in both the dining room and the husband’s study. In the former, a hand-painted, three-dimensional botanical wallpaper imported from London adds whimsy, while a dazzling dining table Del Bello custom-designed from slabs of Arabescato Vagli stone with similar purple tones adds a bit of drama and anchors the room. The latter, meanwhile, employs darker tones and various textures for a more masculine feel. A tactile Phillip Jeffries wallcovering, vintage chairs upholstered in a quietly luxe Holland & Sherry fabric, and alabaster and leather pendant lights create a handsome yet cozy ambiance.

The home’s private rooms are equally memorable – the main bedroom was fully outfitted in an exquisitely-crafted, custom blue-and-white floral mural sprinkled with colorful butterflies– fulfilling a childhood dream for the wife. “We curated spaces that were different and globally inspired yet still felt fresh and calming,” says Del Bello. “You really feel that you’re by the beach in this home but you also feel the family’s love for each other.”

Photography by Gieves Anderson.
Styling by Martin R. Bourne.

For more like this Hamptons home, be sure to check out this charming getaway.

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Abby Gruman, principal at Abby Leigh Designs, is an interior designer who loves to reimagine spaces with her inherent love of fashion, design, and architecture. With a degree in Education and History from Syracuse University and further education at the New York School of Interior Design, Abby has honed her craft to create inviting room schemes that blend modern trends and inherited pieces. She uses her vivid sense of space and eclectic style to create a vision for her clients, with close attention to detail. Based in Tenafly, New Jersey, Abby has garnered a specific niche of clients on the East Coast. Learn more about Abby Gruman and her work in today’s Designer Friday.

Step into this chic living room, featuring the stunning Paris Bone Cocktail table centerpiece and CuratedKravet waterfall bench in a luxurious boucle upholstery.

Andrew Joseph: What is the last book you read?
Abby Gruman: Currently reading Scar Tissue– Anthony Kiedis’ memoir.

AJ: If you could guest star on any TV show -on or off air- what show would you guest star in?
AG: Beverly Hills 90210. My favorite show from growing up! I would watch with my sister every week.

This entry makes a bold first impression with a sleek and stylish Giovanni Lacquered Resin table.

AJ: What’s your favorite cocktail?
AG: Skinny margarita – casa migos blanco

AJ: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
AG: To design two rooms for their soon-to-be baby- one [for a] girl one [for a] boy. When I called the doctor to find out the sex of the baby – no one knew the sex but me! I was installing the nursery as the mom went into labor and we put a black garbage bag over the door so no one could see in!

As you climb the stairs and arrive at the landing, your gaze is immediately drawn to the captivating image of a woman with streams of pink emanating from her eyes. Below the Cloud mirror from Bradley USA, a stunning console crafted by Noir Furniture commands attention with its geometric design and polished finish.

AJ: How do you define beauty?
AG: Having self-confidence!

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About the Designer | Interior designer Abby Gruman of Abby Leigh Designs loves to reimagine spaces using her inherent love of fashion, design, and architecture, creating an inviting room scheme that feels sentimental through the combination of modern trends and inherited pieces. She is able to create an inviting room scheme that feels sentimental through the combination of modern trends and inherited pieces. Graduating with a degree in Education and History from Syracuse University, Abby was drawn to the historical and stylistic contexts in her studies. Eager to emulate her own designs, Abby enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design, where she perfected her craft and immersed herself further into the world of design. As principal at Abby Leigh Designs, she has garnered a specific niche of clients on the East Coast. With close attention to detail, Abby uses her vivid sense of space and eclectic style to create a vision for her clients based on their goals and inspirations. Abby currently resides in Tenafly, New Jersey with her husband and two children.

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As a part of the 2022 Mood for Wood international design workshop for students and young designers, GRAU architects in collaboration with the workshop participants designed the Tea House Pavilion. Located on the bank of Češký Těšín dam, the design is based on the traditional Japanese architecture of tea houses rendered with contemporary means of expression. 

The pavilion invites people to a close experience with nature, focusing visitors’ attention on the water reservoir – views, sounds, movements. It forces a person to stop, and slow down thanks to the endless view into the treetops, the defined view of the boundless calm water surface and the gentle closure from the surrounding bustle of everyday life.

Several rules of the traditional tea ceremony were transferred to the final design. When entering the interior, each visitor must bend down to pass under the lowest horizontal beam of the structure, which refers to the niriji-guchi door, a symbol of the equality of all participants in the ceremony. At the same time, upon entering, a rectifying view opens up attention to the water reservoir. A low table in the middle of the layout invites visitors to sit on their knees as is customary in Japanese culture. Stiffening of the lower part of the structure with plywood boards provides a feeling of privacy and detachment from exterior noises. The open entrance frame allows a view into the interior and passers-by can see the tea ceremony in progress. The height of the table gives it versatility when used both during the tea ceremony or as a bench offering a place for sitting and quiet contemplation, thus following the Japanese ideology focused on simplicity and aesthetic sophistication. The table becomes the only central furniture of the pavilion, its depth allows the participants of the ceremony to sit in close proximity with a feeling of mutuality.

The raw wooden elements are complemented by a soft fabric that brings a feeling of coziness, but keeps the pavilion still minimalist, so that it does not distract from the ceremony itself, from achieving a sense of peace and harmony. Diagonally fixed fabric together with closing two side walls with birch plywood create an impression of privacy and protection against weather conditions such as sun and rain, which the house provides, but at the same time, the frame structure remains airy and open enough to allow a connection with the exterior and the creation of non-traditional views. Textiles in two levels bring a certain play to the pavilion, which is meant to evoke traditional Japanese architecture.

Used as a meditative space for the tea ceremony or as a pleasant summer pavilion, the pavilion invites people to a close experience with nature.

Photography by Matej Hakár.

For more like this be sure to check out the tea house room in this mountainous getaway in Aspen.

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Light, natural light, is like water. Elemental and essential. But as it doesn’t come out of a tap or a bottle, it is not ours to control. Sometimes subtle, sometimes overpowering, sometimes barely present, it is a vital if unpredictable partner in any design scheme.

Natural light can be elusive in the deep spaces of a Brooklyn brownstone, but you wouldn’t know that looking at the Fort Greene residence of Marysia Woroniecka, where kitchen, parlor and dining room can be awash in wonderful rays. It helps that the London-bred fashion publicist (she once represented the late Vivienne Westwood, among others) has chosen to envelop these with white-painted walls.

A long-time business partner of designer Maria Cornejo, Woroniecka moved to Brooklyn from a loft on 27th and Broadway in Manhattan. Although it was nice seeing the Empire State Building from her bedroom window, she grew weary of the hyper street scene. Her then-husband had lived previously in Fort Greene, so the couple headed across the river and started poking around for a home with a tad less urban energy swirling around it. “I fell in love with the neighborhood, and we eventually found this house – one of the smallest on the block, but one of the best blocks in the area.”

Although Woroniecka’s 19th-century home is blessed with high ceilings, parquet flooring and decorative millwork, its previous owner (who lived to be 101) had resided there for over 40 years, so the place needed considerable attention, which included updating the electrical and plumbing and installing a new kitchen. They didn’t fuss much with the configuration of the spaces but did transform a closet into a powder room.

Working without an interior designer, Woroniecka has created a highly personal home, one that reads well done but not rigorously arranged. A testament to her fondness for flea markets, art galleries and singular shops, it is engagingly populated with a variety of furniture and objects, from a Fornasetti table lamp and a vase by artist Kara Walker to fabrics from Mombasa, Kenya and a photo of Charlie Watts by Enrique Badulescu.

A Regency-style side chair is partnered with a barley twist pedestal table. A humble kitchen cabinet of the 1930s is right at home in a spruced-up bathroom. The dining room is set with a table by Ilse Crawford for De La Espada and classic Norman Cherner chairs. A gilt rococo mirror – from her mother’s house in London – hangs above the original marble mantel in the parlor, and vintage Moroccan rugs are found upstairs and down.

But down the road, well, things may travel. “I feel comfortable living with things for a while and then not being afraid to move them around when a spot feels right,” relates Woroniecka, who has recently done a major rehanging of her art. “Once in a while, I decide that I need a new piece of furniture, but when it comes to art or decorative objects, it is always because I find something I love first and then find a spot for it.” And she has, beautifully.

Photography by Marco Bertolini.

For more like this Brooklyn brownstone, be sure to check out this Park Slope beauty.

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Academy of Music Opera House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the decades that followed World War I, a new experience opened the doors to opulent and transportive design. Architects and designers borrowed inspiration from ancient temples and Renaissance palazzi to create new “movie palaces” rich with stylistic interpretations of Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco. These interiors intended to captivate audiences as much as what they viewed on screen—the movie house itself creating an immersive backdrop for the overall experience of movie-going.

In the series “Pleasure Domes: Architecture of Gilded Dreams” photographer Christos J. Palios captures these spectacular settings to both preserve their legacy and share their grandeur with audiences beyond those who have filled the seats.

San Antonio’s Majestic Theater.

“What I enjoy most about these spaces is the eclectic stories they each vividly express about their era through diverse architectural ornamentation,” Palios explains. “Long before television, visiting these interiors was the highlight of people’s week. It was where they went to be entertained and to socialize, to see and be seen!”

Grand Lobby of the Paramount Theater, Oakland, California.

The photographer notes that, in the heyday of such theaters, the broad egalitarian appeal of moving pictures subverted class distinction and connected humanity in freshly potent ways. “Architecture of Gilded Dreams” allows us to wonder how such “iconic and fanciful American interiors will continue to evolve in a post-2020 world of ever-shifting connection.” The aim of the series, Palios notes is “to help preserve and celebrate the rich memories and historic relevance of these distinguished spaces.”

Photography by Christos J. Palios.

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“Cozy,” though it can range from an old school cabin in the woods to a city apartment done up in Grandmillennial style, is pretty well understood. Charm is something else. One might say charm is the thinking person’s cozy. Case in point? Iza Przepiórska’s getaway in the Polish countryside.

Sweetly situated and utterly bucolic – the nearest tiny town is six miles away, and Przepiórska has but one neighbor – her second home is a former schoolhouse built in the 1920s. The property was in sad shape when this advertising creative first saw it. But as it was situated in the Drawskie Lake District, surrounded by hills, meadows and beech forest – and far closer to her Warsaw home than the vacation places she had been renting in France and Spain – she signed on. Working without an architect and supervising the project herself, Przepiórska set about redoing the interior, searching out old doors and hardware, demolishing a wall, bricking up a doorway and relocating the kitchen and bathroom. She also went to work on the garden, cleaning up the pond, ripping out a jungle of weeds and planting trees and lilac bushes.

Cozy is often conjured through a keen attention to purely decorative detail, a love of little bits and bobs. Nostalgia often plays a role, and rooms are frequently arranged to tell a story. Charm is more straightforward, less self-conscious. The charm of Przepiórska’s redbrick retreat lies in its seeming effortlessness. There is clearly an eye at work here, and a sense of proportion pervades these spaces. But no indication of great aesthetic exertion, no impressive effort of calculation. A pail is a pail. A pew is a bench. A farmhouse table and a motley collection of bentwood chairs looks so wonderfully serviceable. Paired with a rather rustic wingback chair, two vaguely Scandinavian armchairs set fireside come off as a place to sit, not a midcentury moment.

To outfit her bucolic getaway, Przepiórska brought a few pieces from her city apartment, then trawled the internet and made the rounds of local – and not so local – flea markets and antique stores. One of her favorite finds is a bathtub manufactured more than a century ago. She discovered it at an antique store 250 miles away. “And I had to arrange to transport it to a restoration expert at the other end of Poland,” describes Przepiórska. “This was expensive, but it was worth it. It’s beautiful. And it holds heat for a long time.” A local carpenter built her bed from beams lying in the attic. A chest of drawers in the living room came from a friend, and most of the paintings in the house are the work of another friend, the Gdańsk-born artist Leszek Skurski.

As with people, charm in a home comes quietly. Unlike the hale fellow well met, it doesn’t grab your hand and clap you on the back or speak too animatedly or dare you not to be spellbound. Emanating from every corner, it slowly envelops one. It doesn’t declaim or assert, it operates free of big gestures. Przepiórska’s home charms, but it was not designed to charm. And that is charm itself.

Photography by Marcin Grabowiecki / Alicja T.
Styling by Eliza Mrozińska

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