MAA: Can you share a bit about your professional interior design journey?
MS: I grew up with modern art in my home in Coronado, CA and as far back as I can remember I have loved art and design. Professionally, I did marketing and product design for Disney and Pixar. I am a born collector, I collect bone china, furniture, art, pillows, hotel silver, Hermes ashtrays, beautiful books - if it is in a home, I am a collector of it!
I love to rotate art in my home every few months. Also, I am artist. I am inspired by the modernists, I like Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Robert Mangold. I like emerging artists too. After seeing my home, friends started asking me to design their amazing homes here in California. I enjoyed helping them so much, I decided to start my own business. I found top workrooms and resources to achieve the design vision we collaboratively created.
MAA: How do you approach collecting art?
MS: It has to appeal to me first and foremost. My clients and I are exploring various forms of art. I have observed that all of my clients are interested in upgrading the art they currently own. They are entertaining guests who also collect art and design. So I engaged Metropolitan Art Advisors for guidance to get a sense of my clients' aesthetic, within their budget, and to identify appropriate art ... sometimes to show us the "next the big thing". We all enjoy the hunt for the perfect work of art, even if it takes months.
MAA: What have you learned from collecting art that you didn’t know before, either about art itself or about your own tastes?
MS: I love discovering and buying from online auctions. I am a value shopper. All of this hunting takes time, and mapping it to the overall design plan. I feel I have a competitive advantage with an art advisor. She is plugged in with private collectors groups, she has long term relationships with curators, museum directors, gallerists and attends art fairs globally. She shows us what serious collectors and institutions are buying. I can then introduce these artists with momentum to my clients.
MAA: Are there any particular artists or pieces you're currently interested in acquiring?
MS: I just returned from a month of traveling in Europe and discovered several next generation artists in the United Kingdom. The ones I am drawn to include Grayson Perry, Sarah Graham and Oisin Byrne for example. I also love how Kit Kemp, designer for the Firmdale Hotels, selects art & outsider art in her beautiful hotels.
MAA: How do you see your role as both a designer and a collector growing?
MS: One of my favorite projects was when I designed a home for the CEO in the fashion industry. They were great about making decisions, they had impeccable taste, and together we enjoyed the creative process. Currently I am designing the home of a famous actress who has been collecting art for decades. She was downsizing from a 15,000 sf home to a manageable sized residence and my job was to help her make it beautiful and cohesive. My next project is my home! I engaged Metropolitan Art Advisors to help me save time, save money and find works which adhere to the MAA mission: quality, rarity, beauty.
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