I was honored to participate in the 2013 Hampton Designer Showhouse to benefit Southampton Hospital. See more. I enlisted the help of my colleague, Richard Mortimer, who has an extensive knowledge of Modern art and furniture.

My room was one of the Guest Suites in the 11,000 square foot home, so we decided to approach it more as a retreat than a bedroom. We wanted to have fun with it and push the style envelope.

We chose the early 1970s as the setting with a noted art critic as our imaginary client. Debonair and erudite, his weekends were a social whirlwind, so he needed a quiet space to think, write, enjoy an afternoon nap or a discreet tryst (our lips are sealed!) Our “client” wanted a departure from his more formal persona, allowing him, in ‘70s vernacular, “to let his hair down.”

For our interpretation of this period, we used bold color and pattern, and cutting-edged style. Custom pieces combined with iconic modern design provided the perfect foil for the artwork, notably Elaine de Kooning and Ferdinand Leger. But the room’s focal point was a monumental abstract by an English artist named Mark Lancaster. If you’re not familiar with him, I’ll drop some names: Warhol, Frankenthaler, Sinatra (yes, Old Blue Eyes.) Intrigued?

My goal was to imbue the room with a cosmopolitan taste level, creating a sophisticated setting fused with casual undertones.