what is your idea of perfect design happiness? TO HAVE A CLIENT WHO HAS GREAT TASTE, AND A GREAT BUDGET!
what is your greatest fear in design? I FEEL PRETTY FEARLESS
which historical design figure do you most identify with? DIANA VREELAND AND AUNTIE MAME
ABOVE | diana vreeland | bronze chinese crane
what profession other than design would you like to attempt? PAINTING, BECAUSE I LOVE COLOR
what is your greatest design extravagance? TRAVEL
when and where were you happiest with your design? WHEN I LIVED IN ROME, INSPIRATION WAS AROUND EVERY CORNER
what do you consider your greatest achievement in design? THAT I’M STILL IN DESIGN
if you died and came back as another designer or design object, who or what do you think it would be? I WANT TO COME BACK AS MALMAISON, EMPEROR NAPOLEAN AND EMPRESS JOSEPHINE’S LOVE SHACK OUTSIDE OF PARIS
ABOVE | blue sultana | chateu malmaison
which living designer do you most admire? AS ALBERTO PINTO JUST DIED, I’LL HAVE TO GO WITH A TIE BETWEEN JACQUES GARCIA AND AXEL VERVOORDT
what specific design related talent are you lacking that you would you most like to have? A PSYCHIATRY DEGREE
what is your most treasured design related possession? MY STAFF
what do you regard as the lowest depths of misery in design? MATCHY-MATCHY TRITE DECORATING
what curse word do you most frequently use? ALL OF THE ONES THAT START WITH AN F
what is your favorite design related word? DIVINO
what is your least favorite design related word? GLAMOROUS AND FABULOUS, OR FABULOUSLY GLAMOROUS
what turns you on in design? BEAUTY
ABOVE | michelle nussbaumer design | chinese cylindrical jar
what turns you off in design? MEANNESS
what is your motto in design? MORE IS MORE
PROUST ON DESIGN | Answered by my design icons, these must-ask questions come from a 19th century parlor game made popular by Marcel Proust, the French novelist, essayist & critic. This interview technique has been used by many journalists throughout the years but my column was primarily inspired by The Proust Questionnaire, which appears monthly on the back page of Vanity Fair(my alma mater). The twist here on CLOTH & KIND is that I've repurposed each question to relate to interior design. To read all of my Proust on Design interviews, please click here. Enjoy!