Linda Boronkay
photo by Ben Anders
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I believe Ibiza would be an excellent choice for a second home, offering easy weekend access and a warm, seaside location. Being near the water has an incredible healing and calming effect on me. As Diana Vreeland once famously said, “I think it's the most beautiful thing. See, I'm mad about water. I think water is God's tranquilizer. To be in it, to drink it, to look at it, and to be a surfer — oh, between the sky and the water — would be, to me, the most wonderful thing.”
I also love the idea that in Ibiza, you can embrace your extroverted side and enjoy going out, but you can also retreat to remote areas and connect with nature. I need that balance when I want to disconnect and recharge.
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Atmospheric
2. Emotive
3. Curated
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? My childhood bedroom was a pink room with a deep burgundy carpet and rose coloured walls. I had a beautiful antique bed and contemporary furniture. On my walls I had fashion magazine cut outs of Ellen Von Unwerth’s shots of Lonneke Engel for a Guess campaign.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? Art is the one investment I never regret making. I've moved many times throughout my life, and I continue to do so. Large pieces of furniture and curtains always come with risks, but art remains a worthwhile investment. It holds memories and reflects the specific phase of my life when I acquired each piece.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be?
From the past: Piero Portaluppi or Renzo Mongiardino
Present: Dimore Studio or Studio KO
No room is complete without art on the walls and plants. Besides the obvious furniture and lighting, these finishing touches truly make a room feel complete and lived in. I find taking care of plants incredibly rewarding; I love watching them grow, adding elegance and beauty to my space.
People think of me as confident but I am really full of self-doubt and am a very sensitive person.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement - symmetry! I love wild flower arrangements
An hors d’oeuvre platter – onions and garlic. As much as I love the taste, they are very antisocial
A bar cabinet – Whiskey… not a fan and gives me a terrible headache
A song for:
Dinner at home – Sade: By your side (Neptunes Remix)
Working at your desk – depends on the project we are working on, like to listen to French music in general. A nice new favourite is Jimmy Whoo: Still Cruisin’
Going for a run – any songs by Jungle
Biggest Vice? Never able to say no… to food, going out, travel, projects. Life is a huge adventure and I tend to burn the candle on both ends…
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? This jumpsuit from Schiaparelli screams my name…
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? I like to wear structured clothing like a sculptural shoe or a suite or a dress with an interesting cut. I tend to wear black but I’m really trying hard to start wearing more colours, not always with much success.
Who is your star crush? Athena Calderone, Britt Moran, Thomas Heatherwick, Tom Dixon, Gabriel Hendifar, to name a few—are amazing designers who have remained humble and humane. I’ve had the chance to know these design geniuses in person, and they are all incredibly humble, lovely, and always helpful.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? I don’t think I can answer that question, very hard to think of anything that I would NEVER want to try in design. I like to always try new concepts and never repeating ourselves.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Atmospheres by Peter Zumthor.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Versatile, bold, sophisticated and thoughtful
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Interstellar
Book: Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb
Scent: Promise by Frederic Malle
The fabric you always come back to: Claremont
Dream project: Always the current one
Meal: Canard roti in Brasserie Lipp
Drink: Bellini
Hotel: Splendido
Travel Destination: Nice
Artist: Jean Dunand
Era in the history of design: 1930’s
Museum: Dia:Beacon
Paint Color that always looks great: you can’t go wrong with greens and blues. These days my favourites are: Apple Smiles by Paper & Paint or Porcelain V by Paint and Paper Library
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: therascalhouse, petronestudio, __nitch,
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Both
