The Style Files: Conversations with Creatives

British-born, pre-eminent interior designer Kathryn M. Ireland is a true citizen of the world. From her legendary “sympathetic restorations” of landmark architectural houses and hotels to extraordinary homes for the Hollywood elite, the star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators brings the best attributes of grand European style and cool California chic to every project. A die-hard fan of bold color, the layering of pattern and texture, and the beauty of imperfection, Ireland’s interiors convey an easy, elegant vibe that is worldly and chic, yet effortless. Kathryn has also established herself as a major force in product manufacturing and has been dedicated to producing her bespoke textile collections, weave collections, and upholstered goods all locally in the United States.

Beyond her eponymous lines of textiles and furniture, Kathryn has most recently set out to disrupt the digital design industry with her newest venture, The Perfect Room. Backed by three decades of experience in luxury interior design, Kathryn has – through TPR – introduced the first luxury online concierge design service, providing curated products and unparalleled design expertise in a simple online platform. Kathryn has also authored 6 best-selling books, including her most recent, Kathryn At Home, and has collaborated with several home furnishing brands including Grange, Scalamandre, and C2 Paints. Kathryn has also acted as the North American Brand Ambassador for beloved European appliance brand AGA Rangemaster.

Adding to her long list of credits over her multi-hyphenate career, Kathryn has long developed and hosted Design Retreats each summer at her home in the south of France, and regularly hosts design bootcamps in Los Angeles. At each she offers insight on her favorite local resources, professional expertise and storied experiences to help others succeed in the design industry.

Kathryn has appeared as an expert on Good Morning America, Access Hollywood Live, Good Day LA, and E! News. A shelter magazine favorite, Kathryn’s design work appears frequently in Elle Decor, World of Interiors, House Beautiful, Veranda, Architectural Digest, Vogue and InStyle. Kathryn is consistently featured on Elle Decor’s A-List and is one of the Top 25 Interior Designers as listed by The Hollywood Reporter. When she’s not designing or entertaining, Ireland divides her time between her home in Santa Monica, CA and her restored farmhouse in southwest France.

Dallas based designer Jan Showers believes, “Design should relate to the way we live—it also should be beautiful, glamorous, comfortable and luxurious, even when very casual.” Showers style has been described by one of her clients as, “The interiors of Jan Showers & Associates are chic and timeless. They exude glamour and grace with an approachable and at ease feeling, much like Jan herself.”

It’s fitting then that Jan has written two books on the subject: Glamorous Rooms and her follow-up, Glamorous Retreats, both published by Abrams. Glamorous Rooms is now in its twelfth printing. Together, her books display a cross section of the styles and decorative preferences that have made Jan and her firm one of the most prominent in the country. Jan’s third book, Glamorous Living, will also be published by Abrams in Fall 2020.

Over the course of her career—spanning three decades—she has received many of the profession’s highest honors. Her magazine credits alone place her in the highest echelon of designers. They include Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Veranda, House Beautiful, InStyle, Traditional Home, British Home and Garden, Harper’s Bazaar, and Luxe.

Architectural Digest has named Jan Showers & Associates to the AD100, its preeminent directory to the international world of design.

Jan’s to the trade furniture and lighting collection, the Jan Showers Collection, highlights her signature style. The Collection was created over 20 years ago and is available at showrooms throughout the U.S.

Jan Showers & Associates announced a furniture line, the 1308 Collection, in the fall of 2018 which is available only at her showroom in Dallas Design District at 1308 Slocum Street.

For more than 20 years Showers has been a pioneer of French antiques for the Dallas community and designers. She travels internationally in search of antiques she imports both for her Dallas showroom and for the specific needs of her design clients.

Collaboration is very important to Jan and her team. She has created a complete lifestyle collection for Kravet Couture, a line that includes fabrics, wall coverings, rugs, furniture, and lighting. Showers second Kravet furniture collection was introduced in 2019. Being released in spring 2021 will be her second line of fabrics with Kravet. Her other partnerships include a hand-knotted rug series for Moattar, Inc., a lighting series with L.A. based designer Joe Cariati and a cowhide rug collection for Kyle Bunting.

Tina Ramchandani Creative (TRC) designs warm, modern interiors that fully capture our clients’ polished lifestyles. The firm's passion -- Soulful Minimalism® -- allows their clients to experience life surrounded by the things that matter, so they can focus on the people that matter. Tina’s work has been nationally recognized by publications including Elle Décor, The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Cottages & Gardens, Lonny, Gotham, and Cover. She was most recently named a “2018 Next Wave” designer by House Beautiful, the winner of the 2019 IDA by Cottages & Gardens and Rising Star 2019 by NY's D&D Building.

Kate Rheinstein Brodsky grew up in Los Angeles, California. The daughter of decorator Suzanne Rheinstein she grew up immersed in the world of interior design. After graduating from NYU, Katestayed in New York working for Jeffrey Bilhuber, Ralph Lauren Home, and Elle Decor magazine. In the fall of 2014, Kate opened KRB. Offering a curated selection of antiques, vintage furniture, and exclusive home accessories, the store combines the traditions of classical decor with Kate’s uniquely charismatic and colorful point of view. Located on East 74th street in New York, KRB brings a fresh perspective to timeless designs.

A special message from Paloma as we wrap up our first season!

In this special bonus episode of The Style Files, Paloma chats with industry veteran and fellow podcast host, Dennis Scully about the way the design industry is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and adapting their businesses for the future. Paloma and Dennis turn the tables on one another and the hosts become the interviewees, sharing the stories of their respective career trajectories.

Dennis Scully is the host of the weekly Business of Home podcast, where he explores the changes and challenges facing the interior design community through interviews with industry thought leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives. In his Market Watch columns for BOH, Dennis calls upon his background as an analyst and longtime securities trader as he explores the ins and outs of the home industry’s publicly traded businesses. With a marketing, advertising, and business development career in the home furnishings space that spans more than 20 years, Dennis has helped some of the finest companies in the industry to manage their teams and grow their brands.

This episode begins with a personal message from Paloma regarding our mission with The Style Files and the ways in which we plan to be more inclusive moving forward before we delve into our chat with the talented Alex Papachristidis. 

The work of interior decorator Alex Papachristidis, featured in this month’s Veranda, has been described as thoughtful, personal and eclectic. Having mastered the skill of fusing modern and traditional elements, editors, designers and clients alike use the word “sophisticated” to define his elegant approach, color palette and the delightful details that make a room sizzle with style.

Born and raised in New York City, Alex Papachristidis traveled widely in his youth, helping to cultivate his eye for interior decorating. Papachristidis established his own firm in 1987 and today is known for arresting, elegant interiors that meld classical motifs with a modern perspective and sophisticated details. Alex Papachristidis’ work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Southern Accents, InStyle and The New York Times. He has also been featured in a number of published works, and in 2012, his own book The Age of Elegance: Interiors by Alex Papachristidis was published by Rizzoli. Now in its 4th printing, the book has garnered praise from readers and critics alike. Papachristidis has been named to ElleDécor’s “A-list of Interior Designers”, and for several years, including 2020, the Architectural Digest’s AD100 List. His second book is slated to be published in 2022. Join us as we talk all things decorating, entertaining, and the future of design!

CHRISTOPHER’S ICONIC CERAMIC LAMP DESIGNS draw inspiration from classical forms and traditional gem like glazes. He began his career in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. where he worked out of an old school house near Dumbarton Oaks. Shortly thereafter, his work received critical acclaim and his reputation as a noteworthy ceramicist began to emerge. In the summers, he worked from Mecox Gardens in Southampton as an artist in residence and such designers as Albert Hadley, Richard Keith Langham and Suzanne Rheinstein began to commission his work.

Since 1996, Christopher has been concentrating his efforts on his unique lamp designs. In the fall of 1999 after outgrowing his Washington studio he moved to New York City where he now creates his one of-a-kind lamps with his crew of skilled artisans. The lamps are of timeless appeal and luxurious quality. Beautiful classic forms are drenched in bold vibrant rich glazes. Each one of a kind lamp is set in a hand turned hardwood base, which is water gilt with 23k yellow gold or 9k white gold for a silver finish. Currently, Christopher recently expanded his designs to table ware and other ceramic accessories.

Christopher’s work is often featured in celebrated publications such as Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Elle Décor, Departures, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. He has had the honor of making lamps for the past three White House Administrations, as well the Blair House and other distinguished American homes.

When not in the Studio, Christopher can be found at his farm in Millbrook, NY gardening, bee keeping, making jam, cooking for friends, or tending to his flock of heritage breed chickens. He also enjoys the pleasure of giving back to the community by serving on the board of the local time-honored Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and as the Vice Chair of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club President's Dinner. In today's episode, Chris shares how his lamp business came to be and also tells us all about cooking, baking, gardening, and tending to his animals on Clove Brook Farm!

Internationally celebrated for interiors with an inviting flair, Alessandra Branca has classicism running through her veins—her signature style born of a Roman childhood, nurtured through 30 years of experience. Branca blends color, pattern and texture with an abundant sense of joy, a little wink and the wisdom to make

it all work in perfect harmony. Branca’s interiors are livable— designed to reflect and soften our complex worlds. What unifies her work is an overall sense of balance—and the practical magic she casts, turning houses into homes.

The hallmark of any Branca interior is authenticity—reverence for quality craftsmanship, finely-tuned proportion and scale, rigorous attention to detail and a focus on the individual client. Everything contributes to the complete vision for a home designed to meet her clients’ needs, supporting and enhancing a well-lived life. Whether she’s creating a family beach house, a Park Avenue pied-à-terre,
a sailboat or a private club, Alessandra delivers a distinct point of view—and a deep understanding of how we want to live, wherever we find ourselves. In today's episode of The Style Files, Branca shares endless inspiration on her approach to life as well as running a successful design firm. 

After earning a degree in architecture from Columbia University and mentoring under renowned decorator Miles Redd, Nick Olsen started his eponymous firm in 2010. Nick creates comfortable, stylish interiors that nod to the past and his arch sense of humor while maintaining an air of modernity. Hallmarks of his aesthetic include mixing antiques and contemporary art, playing with scale and texture contrasts, and creating unexpected color combinations--all while tending to the unique needs of each client. Recent projects include a mid-century modern home in Cincinnati, separate Park Avenue apartments for members of the same family, and a Nantucket vernacular summer home and guest house.

At age 24 Nick's first studio apartment landed on the cover of Domino magazine, and one his first decorating projects made the August 2013 cover of The World of Interiors. His projects have also been featured in Architectural
Digest, Veranda, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, British Homes & Gardens, and the Wall Street Journal. Nick has been named to ELLE Décor’s A-List for the past two years and he currently resides in lower Manhattan. In this episode of The Style Files, Nick and Paloma discuss how Nick pivoted from architecture to interior design, how he connected with his mentor, Miles Redd, the process of renovating his farmhouse in upstate New York, and what it's like to design a room in the Kips Bay Showhouse.

Growing up in Palm Beach in the 1970s, Amanda experienced Florida at its most magical. The style, the architecture, the climate – it would all imprint on her, taking root and blossoming throughout the years.

Through her 20s, Amanda worked at WWD and W magazine, as well as PR for Gucci and other luxury brands in New York, Paris and London. In her 30s, she moved to Nassau full-time and applied her design eye to her own home, then to properties associated with her husband’s development company, and eventually for friends who became clients (and, of course, clients who became friends).

Throughout her work, she kept the focus on breezy sophistication and vibrant layers of texture and color – the hallmarks of inviting spaces to host family and friends.

Jeffrey Bilhuber has a uniquely American perspective that breathes new life into tradition with a confirmed understanding of modern sensibilities. He mixes periods and design ideas with a confidence and instinctive style whose rules are self-evident: practicality and sheer beauty. Hamish Bowles of Vogue likens him to a 21st century Billy Baldwin. Sara Ruffin Costello has exclaimed " Jeffrey Bilhuber has sealed his legacy as a design pioneer on par with phenoms like Albert Hadley.” Bilhuber’s unlikely combinations of plain with fancy and new with old make for dwellings as fascinating as they are functional. One of a handful of preeminent American decorators, Jeffrey Bilhuber takes his design cues from understanding the importance of history while optimistically looking towards the future. With almost thirty years of decorating experience, he brings an acclaimed confidence and clarity to his far-reaching projects. His interiors consistently address the needs of an evolving and enlightened society with historic respect and modern insightfulness. Bilhuber represents the quintessential New York based interior designer. Engaged by both the past and present, his work is honest, urbane, edited, intuitive, brisk, stylish and modern, with a strong individual point of view. Join us as we delve into a lively discussion about Jeffrey's career trajectory, his most memorable projects, licensed collections, and what he is most looking forward to. 

In this lively conversation, Jeffrey shares how he is thriving and surviving in the midst of a global pandemic, shares his philosophy on color and crafting timeless interiors, and dishes on what it's like to work for high-profile clients such as Anna Wintour and David Bowie. Candid and hilarious, Jeffrey Bilhuber's joie de vivre and passion for design are palpable in this creative conversation. 

Considered one of the most talented names in design, Bunny is also an accomplished businesswoman, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. A lover of dogs, gardens, and china, Bunny’s knowledge and expertise is on par with her enjoyment of life. Her eponymous firm — launched in 1988 following a 22-year apprenticeship with the esteemed Parish-Hadley Associates — has wrought its own indelible imprint and legacy.

Bunny Williams Associates is renowned for balancing refined beauty, welcoming livable appeal, and attention to detail. While the creation of delightful rooms is Bunny’s passion, her firm’s success above all, is anchored in long-lasting and valued relationships with its clientele. The resulting commissions over three decades — many for repeat homeowners — are found across the United States and abroad, in city apartments, country estates and cottages; in the mountains and by the water. Bunny’s own houses and her long career have provided ample material and inspiration for six books to date, and she is a sought-after speaker and mentor on design, decoration, gardening, and entertaining.

Bunny grew up in the countryside near Charlottesville, Virginia. Her parents encouraged her passion for the arts and led her to Garland Junior College in Boston, where she studied interior design. A watershed moment at age 15 was visiting the Dorothy Draper-decorated Greenbrier Resort, which had a color palette unlike anything Bunny had ever seen. “It really opened my eyes and the lesson I learned was not to play it safe,” shares Bunny.

Upon moving to New York, Bunny worked at Stair & Co., an antiques gallery frequented by Sister Parish and Albert Hadley. Bunny subsequently joined Parish-Hadley and remained at the venerable firm for 22 years. “I was honored to work there and was exposed to so much; their extraordinary projects and partnership, the design process, everything. By the time I left, I’d been the secretary, an assistant, and a buyer. I had the tools and experience to run my own enterprise, which I did — starting with three people working out of my guest bedroom!”

Shortly thereafter, fueled by her devotion to gardening, Bunny opened Treillage in 1991 along with her husband, the antiques dealer John Rosselli. Considered both ground breaking and industry changing, Treillage drew A-list designers, editors, and tastemakers to its off-the-beaten track, Upper East Side destination for the ultimate in home and garden. “Twenty-five years ago, Treillage was something entirely new, but all good things come to an end. Now, with Bunny Williams Home, I’m proud to show an entire line under one roof and we’re creating accessories with the aim of becoming a complete home-furnishings company.”

Never one to rest on her many awards, accolades, and honors, Bunny keeps her eye on what’s next, whether it’s her collaborations with Ballard Designs, Bunny Williams Home, or her next book. Forward thinking always, Bunny says, “While it’s certainly nice to look back on one’s accomplishments, it’s more interesting for me to look ahead. The firm, while instilled with my expectations and objectives, is taking on an exciting new dimension with Elizabeth Swartz as my partner. Together, we are all part of a greater legacy that branches out from Parish-Hadley and it feels very relevant in our fast-paced world. She completes my vision and takes it a step further: we work hard and have fun in the process.”

Mark D. Sikes is an esteemed interior designer and tastemaker working on projects throughout the United States. He is known for all-American sensibilities and a fresh take on classical aesthetics. Mark has a talent for creating beautiful and timeless interiors that embody an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Mark's work has even featured in AD, Veranda, ELLE Decor, House Beautiful, The Wall Street Journal, C Magazine, Milieu, and Domino. Mark has partnered with some of the best manufacturers in furniture and fabric to develop his signature product lines including Chaddock, Soane, Hudson Valley Lighting, Troy Lighting, Schumacher, Merida, Annie Selke, and Blue Pheasant. His first book, Beautiful, was a New York Times Best Seller and his highly anticipated new book from Rizzoli will debut in September 2020. Join us as this arbiter of style shares the story of how he went from being a retail executive to a celebrated interior designer. Mark shares the details of his design process, his greatest sources of inspiration, and what gives him hope. Join us for this fascinating and creative conversation!

Get a hint of what's to come in the trailer for The Style Files: Conversations with Creatives