Photography courtesy of Barbara Barry
Internationally renowned interior designer Barbara Barry is the epitome of refined glamour. Her designs (as shown above) reflect an elegant approach to living and include timeless collections for Baker Furniture, Tufenkian Carpets, Boyd Lighting, Baccarat Crystal, Kallista Collection for kitchen and baths and Ann Sacks Tile and Stone. During her 20 years of experience, Ms. Barry has been inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, presented with the “Star of Design” for lifetime achievement, included in Architectural Digest’s AD 100 and declared “Designer of the Year” by Traditional Home magazine. Ms. Barry recently went online with AT HOME to discuss her design tips and some essentials for creating a beautiful backdrop for life.
What pieces of furniture should everyone invest in?
It is all about creating a mood at whatever budget: A good down sofa, a comfortable lounge chair for reading, an ottoman to put your feet up on and a table lamp and/or floor lamp for great lighting. Then add a good bed and bedside table with good lighting—and you can live well.
If you had to give one piece of advice in designing a home, what would it be?
To keep it small and look to history for well-proportioned rooms. It is all about how we feel in a space. We often make our homes too big. The rooms are not intimate, and then you need more to fill them up.
Yet you’re often praised for bringing intimacy and refinement to large spaces. So how do you do it?
I achieve harmony through layering color and texture and form. Think of five shades of seaglass or celadon ... or even five shades of white and ivory and soft taupe. I believe that many values of the same hue create a calming effect and allow for more things to live easily together.
What is the quickest fix to give a home a design makeover?
Color ... and purging! Get rid of the knickknacks, do a fresh paint job and relish in the luxury of emptier space!
You founded your firm in 1985 and have been based in Los Angeles ever since. Do you find inspiration from the film world around you?
Yes, I have always found inspiration in film, but that can happen anywhere you live. I have found inspiration in the light of Southern California and the way it illuminates subtly. I also love the color green, as it is ever present here, and I have come to see it as a neutral if grayed out a bit.
You were recently inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. What are some of the ways the industry has changed since you started your career?
Now, it seems that everybody and every company is in the home-furnishings business, and that wasn’t the case when I started. And I feel it is even all the more important to be an authentic designer with an original vision in this world of knockoffs and derivative design.
You have said that everyone needs to find a calm haven in their home. What is yours?
My bedroom! I do a lot of work from there, as it is comfortable and calming and restorative.
You’ve worked on so many projects—the Savoy Hotel, the Brooks Brothers’ flagship store, the Avon Spa, numerous private homes, not to mention all your collections. How do you keep things fresh? Do you go at each project with a different mind-set?
I try to bring my philosophy to each project no matter how different they are. That philosophy is one of harmony and simplicity ... working to reduce things to their essence, design for function with beauty. It seems to work, as it is based on principles and not fashion.
I know you have created many dream dining rooms. Who would be your dream guests for dinner?
The film director Bernardo Bertolucci, the designer [Cristóbal] Balenciaga if he were alive and the musician Yo-Yo Ma.
Furniture designed by Barbara Barry and realized by Henredon. For more information go to barbarabarry.com.
