Brockschmidt and Coleman
photo by George Ross
answers by Courtney Coleman
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I would so much rather have a fabulous travel budget.
What are three words to describe your style? To steal the old Barney’s slogan: Taste, Luxury, Humor
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Twin beds with eyelet canopies and bright yellow background Nancy McLelland chintz on the walls. Outside the windows were overgrown Carolina Jasmine vines with flowers almost the same color as the chintz, and a big old pine tree that was home to a family of red-headed woodpeckers. Lest that sound too idyllic, or not colorful enough, there was also burnt orange wall to wall shag.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? Heavy silverware that I use and love every day
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Russell Page, for his smallest commission ever - my little French Quarter balcony
No room is complete without Books - you can (almost) never have too many
People think of me as a southerner, but I am really finding that I have lost my accent, y’all.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement bought flowers
An hors d’oeuvre platter anything that requires more than two bites to eat - with the exception of caramelized bacon, whose deliciousness makes it a worthwhile interrupter of party conversation
A bar cabinet Here in New Orleans, the question might be what would you NOT omit from a bar cabinet, and the answer is go-cups so that your guests never leave without a beverage in hand.
A song for:
Dinner at home There’s dinner without TV news?
Working at your desk Silence is golden
Going for a run If that ever happens, it will be a funeral dirge.
Biggest Vice? Checking George Conway’s Twitter feed too often - and watching the silly pet videos.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy?https://www.miniusa.com/model/convertible.html
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes, because they are tailored and simple, but no, because they are not very colorful. Happily, I have Bill to compensate!
Who is your star crush? Veere Grenney
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Little uplight spotlights in corners of rooms
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? The very nerdy Upholstery in America & Europe
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Personalized, timeless interiors that feel perfectly appropriate to the setting and the people who live there
A Few Favorites:
Movie: A Bigger Splash
Book: No Mercy, by Redmond O’Hanlon
Scent: Orange blossoms
The fabric you always come back to: Muriel Brandolini’s cotton block prints
Dream project: Every project is a dream, right?
Meal: Sitting outdoors at Rosetta in Mexico City
Drink: Iced tea with lime
Hotel: La Pause, outside Marrakesh
Travel Destination: A gorgeous beach - the more difficult to get to and the less reliable the wifi, the better
Artist: My talented nieces Cate Goodin and Emma Lyle Dampoux
Thing to collect obsessively: Antique saris for pattern and color inspiration
Era in the history of design: Right now!
Museum: Musee de la Chasse in Paris
Paint Color that always look great: Farrow & Ball’s Arsenic
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: The artist Andrew Hopkins, known as boyneworleans1850
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Hopefully someday!
photo by William Waldron
answers by Bill Brockschmidt
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I already do! Modica, Sicily.
What are three words to describe your style? 1. Colorful 2. Balanced 3. Personal
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? Late 1970s teenager: Mauve wall-to-wall carpet was already there… so I added brown paisley valances with tassels over bamboo shades, trunk I covered in bamboo contact paper, a Wegner-style teak and rope folding chair and a matching footstool I wove myself, and some plants hanging from home-made macramé – each plant with a name.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? We had lots of great auction and flea market finds, but needed a bold art statement and so we bought a very large Edward Schmidt painting of Ariadne in the 90s that will be moving to our loggia in the French Quarter soon.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Today my answer is Emilio Terry
No room is complete without a mirror.
People think of me as Sicilian, but I am really American
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Fleshy coppery roses
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Gelo di Maiale – no one will eat it except for me.
A bar cabinet: Isn’t there something with floating gold dust? – That doesn’t need to be there!
A song for:
Dinner at home: My Funny Valentine
Working at your desk: More Than This
Going for a run Yeah right! But I used to listen to Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas on the treadmill.
Biggest Vice? Dessert after every meal – to let me know the meal is over.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Marmalades, jams, preserves, but especially marmalades.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? They used to with colorful shirt, tie and jacket combinations, but I’ve gotten lazy and New Orleans is humid!
Who is your star crush? A consistent answer is Jeremy Northam, though I’m fickle.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Create a visually messy, ultra-bohemian look for a client as a style.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Frances Elkins Interior Design
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? For inspiring and maintaining a vivid interest in decorative arts history as a design tool and for promoting an interest in historic house museums.
A Few Favorites
Movie: Visconti’s Il Gattopardo (The Leopard)
Book: Not all time favorite, but I loved reading Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of Baroness de Pontalba by Christina Vella after starting to spend time in New Orleans.
Scent: Fará by Antonio Alessandro of Catania
The fabric you always come back to: Palma Damask
Dream project: Obviously an old Louisiana plantation or a small Sicilian palazzo, but anything that requires diving into historical research. How about a Dutch rococo canal house in Amsterdam?
Meal: Dessert
Drink: Gin is delicious, and I’ve become obsessed with the Ramos gin fizz that takes at least 10 minutes to shake and is scented with orange flower water.
Hotel: I prefer to rent apartments, but I adored the rococo townhouse hotel Verhaegen in Ghent. Not a fan of bland generic know-what-to-expect high luxury.
Travel Destination: Sicily, but if it doesn’t count because we have a house there, then I love weekend road trips to small historic towns. Looking forward to exploring St. Francisville, Louisiana one of these days.
Artist: I have been a fan of Pierre Bergian’s haunting interiors for many years.
Thing to collect obsessively: Chairs
Era in the history of design: It’s predictable, but the 18th century was the ultimate.
Museum: I go to Palazzo Spada in Rome every time I’m there.
Paint Color that always look great: No comment!
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: i_leo_i
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Other peoples’ dogs
