Carl Dellatore
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? I currently split my time between New York City and Allentown, Pennsylvania, where my partner Stephen Link resides. But if we had a 3rd residence, it would be in Trastevere, Rome.
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Deliberate
2. Minimalist
3. Unfussy
Tell us about your childhood bedroom. Being from a middle-class family in small-town Pennsylvania, I shared a bedroom with my two brothers. Think video games meets sports memorabilia meets 120 Crayola colors (that was me!)
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? I purchased a seventeenth-century bronze mortar and pestle from a dealer in Hudson, New York dealer in the early ’90s. It’s still one of my favorite pieces today. I often think I should use it for pesto, but I can’t bring myself to use it!
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? I would hire Steven Volpe. Or Thad Hayes. Or Robert Stilin. Each takes a rigorous approach that appeals to my sense of less is more with a modicum of carefully considered decorative flourish.
No room is complete without one of my books. (Just kidding–kind of!) No, a well-equipped kitchen is essential. I spent a few years as a private chef earlier in my life, and my Osso Bucco is still a crowd-pleaser.
People think of me as an extrovert, but I am a card-carrying introvert.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Anything yellow.
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Pigs in a blanket with a bowl of ballpark mustard. I’ve got a story there if you’re interested!
A bar cabinet: I’m agnostic on that score–been sober for years.
A song for:
Dinner at home: Andreas Segovia on loop. Is there anything better than classical guitar when you’re having a conversation?
Working at your desk: I work without music. Silence helps me to concentrate.
Going for a run: Grace Jones’ album Slave to the Rhythm–the whole album.
Biggest Vice? El Pico espresso.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? I’m not much of a shopper–so I’m more likely on YouTube watching cooking videos (Pasta Grannies rules!)
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Absolutely. I only wear navy blue, white, and the occasional khaki. As a design journalist, I want to defer to the work of other designers–and being a minimalist lets me do that. Style over fashion is my rule. Oh, and baseball caps–I have 60 at last count.
Who is your star crush? Tom Hardy. I mean, come on!
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Natural Curiosities. It’s the be-all, end-all for color reference.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Celebrating the work of others.
A Few Favorites:
Movie: In recent years, Woody Allen, BLUE JASMINE.
Book: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 100 YEARS OF SOLITUDE. I believe the last 5 pages were divinely inspired.
Scent: Jo Malone, AMBER LAVENDER
The fabric you always come back to: Clarence House, TIBET Grospoint
Dream project: Creating a fabric line for Clarence House
Meal: da Umberto’s steak Florentine
Drink: Coffee!
Hotel: Airbnbs
Travel Destination: Next? Hiking the Tetons in Idaho in September–then Portugal in October
Artist: David Halliday’s landscapes
A cause near and dear to me: Sobriety
Things to collect obsessively: Stamps in my passport.
Era in the history of design: Modern day. Like the late Karl Lagerfeld, I prefer to look forward.
Museum: MoMA
Paint Color that always looks great: Farrow and Ball, RAILINGS.
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Linda Evangelista. There will never be another face like hers. As the kids say, I’m a STAN.
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs. I’m hoping to convince Stephen to agree to a German Shorthair Pointer that’ll be named Schatzi. We shall see.
