Hiring an interior designer is like getting a personal stylist for your home. Gil Walsh, an interior designer and the principal of Gil Walsh Interiors, would know.
Having over 40 years’ experience designing homes, commercial spaces, corporate offices, country clubs, and yachts, the Palm Beach-based designer said discovering your aesthetic taste—it all starts in the closet.
“I love fashion, and it all began with fashion for me,” she said. “Initially, my formal education was in fashion design. So, to this day, fashion sparks endless possibilities when I’m designing an interior space. The same colors, textures, time periods, silhouettes, and trends all play a role. These two creative realms intertwine more than people realize.”
We’ve seen the of fashion brand-founded cafes and restaurants pop up in recent years, like New York hotspots, Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar, The Lily of the Valley Afternoon Tea, a collaboration with Dior in the Lowell Hotel, the Blue Box Cafe in Tiffany’s, not to mention Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, which has locations in Florence, Seoul and Tokyo.
“These cafes and restaurants are great; each brand is highlighted through color, patterns, textures and the overall motif in these restaurants and cafes,” she said. “This is done subtly in some instances, like Dior, or it can be a more obvious, brand-driven aesthetic, like with Versace.”
Having the inspiration aesthetic of certain fashion designers can translate to interiors, says Walsh. “A fashion designer’s aesthetic could translate to an interior space, and some of these brands have delved into the home space, but some have an appeal that surpasses expectations.”
There are four key fashion designers who are currently inspiring the homes she is designing.
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an all-American brand, from the preppy blazers for men, to the chic dresses for women. When it comes to nailing the Ralph Lauren look at home, the aesthetic combines neutral colors with piles of books and carefully curated vintage objects, mixing old and new and a warm, woodsy vibe.
If a client loves Ralph Lauren, Walsh makes sure to use rustic, earthy tones, fabrics like leather, elements like stone and other “elements from nature,” she said.
“For a traditional, slightly masculine look, the most recognizable inspiration comes from Ralph Lauren, at the moment,” she said.
“For a Ralph Lauren look, you would design with a palette of rich earth tones, and use traditional pieces mixed with textures and fabrics like leather, velvet, wool, or cashmere.”
Accessories include travel mementos, secondhand finds and patterns. “You could also incorporate a nautical touch or a few unexpected chinoiserie vases,” she adds.
Chanel
Chanel is making waves for its selection of ambassadors, from Ayo Edebiri to Nana Komatsu and Nicole Kidman. The brand also recently unveiled their first library devoted to contemporary art in Shanghai. With the comfort of quiet luxury becoming a mainstay in fashion comes the home aesthetic is the Chanel girl. “It’s elegant, understated with classic fabrics and chic lines,” said Walsh.
“A Chanel girl would design her home with understated elegance and sophistication, using textures and materials that evoke the overall feel of classic Chanel,” she adds. “She would incorporate touches of shine in the form of lacquered accent pieces, crystal chandeliers, and perhaps a baroque piece, while keeping the palette and lines clean and simple.”
In one home, Walsh used a pastel blue for couches and a light-hued rug for one home she designed. “Chanel is having a major moment of influence right now,” he said. “Not that it was ever out of style, but now the direct correlation between Chanel homes and fashion has become a trend. Of course, there are quieter nods to luxury design in the vein of Louis Vuitton, Armani and Dior, too.”
Versace
Italian style is going to be big next year, and it may partly be because of the new season of Emily in Paris, which (let’s face it) does have an influence on fashion and travel trends. Now that Emily (played by Lily Collins) is going to Rome, the new season five drops on December 18. Besides the historic architecture, we are likely to get a glimpse of Italian fashion brands, too.
One of the mainstay Italian fashion brands is Versace, known for its loud, expressive style. “Versace is very Greco-Roman, it’s maximalist, it has bold colors and prints,” said Walsh. In one of the recent Versace-inspired homes she worked on, she turned to using gold fixtures and accents on furniture, mixed patterns on pillows and curtains, animal printed rugs and bold accessories and art, like metallic sculptures and wild paintings.
“For a more modern, or minimalist look I would say, look to Chanel, Carolina Herrera or Armani for inspiration for your home,” she said.
Yohji Yamamoto
We may know Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto for trailblazing an avant-garde tailoring style in modern fashion. There is a clear Bauhaus-esque style of interior design that matches his stark, architectural aesthetic. Yamamoto’s own home was designed by architect Toshiki Matsui, who let simplicity speak volumes. “It translates into minimalist, clean lines and basic colors,” said Walsh.
But high-end design doesn’t have to be expensive, said Walsh, who is the subject of the Rizzoli book, Gil Walsh Interiors: A Case For Color.
“You can have a mix of pieces you love and collect, mixed in with the finer pieces—like a luxury rug—over longer period of time,” she said. “If you enjoy thrifting, the possibilities are endless.”
In her own home, she stays away from trends and keeps things simple. “I design according to each client’s aesthetic and own personal closet, but in my own life I’ve always gravitated toward the traditional. Even when I incorporate modern elements, they are approached in a classic, timeless way rather than trend driven.”
The GW Showroom, curated by GW Interiors, is open every weekday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., located at 5505 S. Dixie Highway Suite 2 West Palm Beach, FL 33405.