Q: In the foreword to your book, fashion designer Michael Kors mentions meeting you in the 1980s, when “design was at a low point.” Where does design stand in 2009?
A: As far as interiors are concerned, and fashion, too, design is in a pretty good place. I would give it at least an A-minus. People are more educated about design; they have discovered what is appropriate. I don’t have people coming to me who want to put over-the-top drapery in a small cottage, for example.
Q: How does glamour fit into this economy?A: If you look at the Depression and the movies that were popular then — The Thin Man series with Myrna Loy and William Powell, My Man Godfrey with Carole Lombard and William Powell — the movies were very much about people who were glamorous. Whether it’s going out and buying a new book or going out and buying a new belt, we all need a little glamour in our lives.
Q: What are your current inspirations?
A: I am very inspired by nature, and I am very inspired by the change of seasons. I’m inspired by magazines, and I’ve always been inspired by movies, especially movies from the late ’30s and early ’40s. Fashion inspires me, as well, but I’m more into style than I am into fashion. In my interiors I try to be timeless, and I do the same with my clothes. Things that look like the 1960s that never go out of style.
Q: Mad Men, perhaps?
A: I really do love Mad Men. My husband will tell you I am obsessed with it. I don’t miss it. I record it, I subscribe to it and have it on my laptop so I can see more detail. If you look back at Slim Aarons’ photography in the ’60s, you see the styles that we’re seeing on Mad Men now.
Q: Describe your favorite room.
A: In our house, it’s a room where I am surrounded by books and a fireplace. It’s my favorite room to be in, because I get to relax there, too. There’s a sun porch we did here in Dallas that I’m very fond of. When I walk in there, I get a great feeling. The room was done in keeping with the 1920s, when the house was built, with fabrics from Rose Cummings. It has windows on three sides, and you look out and see these beautiful vistas. I love it that nature is coming inside. It’s a very happy room. Another favorite is a private library with navy blue walls. That wonderful dark lacquer always gives such a cozy feeling. Books are everywhere in that room.
Q: You have emphasized comfort. How do glamour and comfort fit together?
A: There can be no glamour without comfort. What makes a room glamorous is, yes, the surroundings, but the people in it have to be comfortable. The room has to be inviting. You have to say, “I really want to be in this room,” maybe with my feet curled up on the sofa.
Q: What elements bring glamour to a space?
A: Eye-level lighting is super important, particularly lamps. That lighting has the best effect on how people look. The way they age actors in movies is just overhead lighting. I always put lamps in dining rooms, which surprises people. But they add that wonderful glow. The right color can definitely create a glamorous mood, and I always want people to have books in their house, whether they are stacked on a table or on shelves. These are things people can do without spending money. A lot of people say is it OK to have a mirror in every room. I say it’s not OK not to. A mirror can add a window on a wall, and it also adds an element of sparkle or shimmer. Collections of glass are always good. You can find pretty glass at Target. You can find collections of glass at high-end, middle and low price points.