IN MEMORIAM: A TALK SHOP WITH Suzanne Rheinstein
Photo by Drew Blackwell
ABOUT SUZANNE
We were lucky enough to interview the late, beloved Interior Designer Suzanne Rheinstein about a month before she passed on March 20th, to promote her new book out this month — much to the collective sadness of the entire interior design community. In retrospect, the graciousness of Suzanne’s interview during such a difficult time sums up so well what so many loved about her.
Suzanne was long known for her signature style that has often been described as elegant civility — “fewer things but better things” — encompassing a mixture of beautiful objects, furniture styles, personal art, painted surfaces, and great attention to comfort, textures, details, and light. In the tributes that poured in in the past few days, many have expressed how she was an early champion of their work, be it through her iconic LA home store, Hollyhock, or as a supportive mentor to up-and-coming designers through the years. Many spoke about her legendary wit, effervescence, and expert hostessing this past week (ask friends about her perfectly starched buffet napkins and silver platters of delicious food, a roaring fire always accompanying great cocktails and even better conversation.) Oft cited also was her ability to make any room – and anyone – feel comfortable. But it is her talented and industry-beloved daughter, Kate Brodsky, shopkeeper of her own wonderful home store, KRB NYC, and her three daughters, that are Suzanne’s real and most everlasting legacy. Read Kate’s incredibly moving tribute to her mother in Elle Decor this month here.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Suzanne had a deep appreciation for the traditions of the city. Her Southern sense of style and hospitality, the visual sophistication she acquired living on the East Coast, and her appreciation for the relaxed lifestyle of southern California made her a sought-after talent from coast to coast.
Suzanne’s design projects have been featured in all of the leading lifestyle magazines, and she has been named to Architectural Digest’s AD100 and Elle Decor’s A-List. A longtime board member of the Garden Conservancy, Suzanne is the recipient of the New York School of Interior Design’s “Albert Hadley Award for Lifetime Achievement,” amongst so many other achievements. She is set to be honored in memoriam at this year’s Kips’s Bay President’s Dinner in April.
Suzanne wrote her bestselling books At Home and Rooms for Living, and her newest book, A Welcoming Elegance, is just out from Rizzoli. We are so inspired by the beautiful life and legacy that Suzanne has left for us all; please read her Talk Shop with a little extra love, care and attention this week.
Congratulations on your book A Welcoming Elegance! Where did the inspiration come from to put together this book:
Thank you! Creating this book has really been a labor of love. So much of design has become about design only and my work is really all about my clients. I wanted this book to celebrate and honor them in the same way I always want my interiors to capture each of my clients’ distinct personalities and individual aesthetics. My work is never a tabula rasa—it’s very much about layering personal collections, family heirlooms, and favorite pieces of art alongside a discerning mix of antiques from different periods, unexpected textiles, and intentional, nuanced color palettes.
Tell us what people will find when opening this book:
The book showcases six new, very special projects, each featuring a meaningful mix of antiques, furnishings, art, and textiles. Most importantly, beyond beautiful design, each of these homes is a unique reflection of the people who live in them. Pieter Estersohn’s gorgeous photos really capture the houses and I’m very excited to share the entire book with readers!
What is one takeaway you want people to bring with them from A Welcoming Elegance:
Having beautiful things around you is wonderful but living beautifully is more important. All of us deserve a place that adds richness and serenity to our lives and that we can happily share with friends and family. Creating that kind of home for my clients has been my goal throughout my career in design.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn
Describe your style in three words or less:
Welcoming, timeless, stylish.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
Growing up in New Orleans, living in Southern California, and traveling around the world.
What does your home say about you:
I prefer to live with my fine things, to use them and enjoy them, and I encourage my clients to do the same. There’s no point in saving up for a special occasion. It’s more important and more fun to make your life attractive every single day. Joan Didion once said, “every day is all there” and I think we should all celebrate every day.
Where do you find inspiration:
I grew up in New Orleans, and I absorbed a love of architecture from living there. I was always very aware of my surroundings. And I grew up during a time when mothers were very interested in their gardens and houses…my mother certainly was and my next-door neighbor was Gerrie Bremmermann, a doyenne of decorating in New Orleans. I like to think Gerrie would be proud!
Who are your style interiors icons:
I have so many! I’ve always adored Elsie de Wolfe’s work, especially when she was also incorporating non-French objects, like Tony Duquette’s extraordinarily painted cabinets and other, plaster pieces. I loved the way Nancy Lancaster, of Colefax and Fowler, brought the ideas with which she grew up in Mirador, her grandparents’ beautiful old house in Virginia, with the distinguished houses she inhabited in England. There was fine furniture, but relaxed, mixed with comfortable places to sit. I admired the work of Parish-Hadley as I do that of Bunny Williams, a genius at arranging rooms that are comfortable and also have amazing objects and furniture, no matter what the style. Stephen Sills not only does polished city rooms but also country rooms of American furniture that are chic and welcoming. Peter Dunham’s use of handprints and old textiles, vintage furniture, and rattan often inspires the family rooms I design. I could go on!
Photo by Pieter Estersohn
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Always add a personal touch, whether it’s a casual get-together or a more formal affair. Just doing something special like making your own mayonnaise and mustard or having a special drink” can make guests feel appreciated.
Do you collect anything:
Do I have to name just one? I think my favorite recent collection is the works on paper that adorn the walls of my house in Montecito.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
I have a bunch but my must-follows are @krbnyc, @bunnys_eye, @peterdunhamtextiles, and @pieterestersohnphoto.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I’m not sure if this counts as following or breaking a rule, but don’t make your house too grand for the way you want to live. Accentuate a comfortable room with a few formal pieces that can be used in ways that are best suited for how you actually live. And don’t save, or store anything that you love—incorporate it into your daily life even if it’s fine or delicate. Yes, it might get scratched or broken. But it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Wardrobe staples:
I have a lovely collection of silk scarves that I’ve kept since the 1970s and I’ve been wearing them almost daily as headscarves. I love them all!
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
I created my Garden Roses fabric for Lee Jofa because I’ve always loved to use the reverse of hand-blocked florals and this was a way to achieve, and share that look.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn
Your greatest extravagance:
My house in Montecito is truly my “house of calm.” I purchased it after my husband passed away and it’s been such a special place for me.
Favorite places to shop for home:
My daughter’s exquisite shop, KRB, in New York City.
Photo by Pieter Estersohn
Photo by Pieter Estersohn
Most prized possession and why:
As I get older, I feel life is less about things and more about people. I love the weeks and weekends I get to spend with my three beautiful, talented granddaughters.
Your interiors motto:
“Go Timex or go Rolex.”
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Invest in one great piece a year. As you get older, you’ll be surprised how time flies and you’ll find your collection is both larger and more meaningful than you would have ever imagined.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: I’m being very honest here! New Orleans shrimp creole and cheese grits.
Drink: Ice cold martini straight up
Film: Casablanca
Hotel: The Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda
City: London
Bedding: Must be monogrammed!
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Iced tea for me, please.
Playlist: Depends on when and where! For a dinner at home I love really good jazz instrumentals.
Weekend Activity: I spend every possible weekend I can at my retreat in Montecito, entertaining friends and family! There’s nothing better.
Design Book: There is no way I could name just one. I have a library filled with favorites!