Betsy Wentz
photo by Donna Dotan
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? We took a family trip to Mustique in the West Indies a few years ago and I’d buy a house there in a heartbeat. In addition to the remote location and warm climate, the colors are so vivid – from the sky to the water to the food to the sea turtles – the whole place is really special.
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Happy
2. Colorful
3. Curated
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? My room was really fun. My mom had an artist paint a giant tree that spanned three walls of the room. The tree was covered with flowers, birds, and animals. I had a white iron bed with a red rick rack coverlet.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? Our first investment piece was a pair of lithograph paintings that my husband and I bought when we were first married. We did not know where we would hang the paintings, but we loved them. Twenty years later we still have them.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? I’d love to bring back Dorothy Draper and of course, my mom - What an amazing team to be able to work with!
No room is complete without: wallpaper, even if it’s a subtle texture, it makes a difference.
People think of me as high energy, but I am really a tornado.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Roses
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Smoked or Cajun anything
A bar cabinet: Rum
A song for:
Dinner at home: Anything by Dawes
Working at your desk: Instrumental music/no words
Going for a run: Beyoncé irreplaceable
Biggest Vice? I have a jewelry and rug fetish
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy?
I’d hop on https://www.kirnazabete.com and buy a piece of jewelry by Audrey Cohen or Sid Ward.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? I think there is a close connection between fashion and design. I often wear a neutral base and add pops of color and texture, much as I would design a room.
Who is your star crush? Ryan Reynolds
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it?
Nothing – If I wouldn’t do it, I really don’t like it if anyone does it.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be?
The Alessandra Branca book by mom has dog eared and handwritten notes all over.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Happy spaces that incorporate color.
photo by Nick Sargent
A Few Favorites:
Movie: St. Elmo’s Fire
Book: Anything by Harlan Cobin....I love a great fictional escape.
Scent: Valmont Verde Erba
The fabric you always come back to: Any colorful stripe or polka dot
Dream project: A boutique hotel with lots of character and space to flex
Meal: Sushi
Drink: Vodka martini up with a lemon twist
Hotel: The Surf Club, Miami
Travel Destination: Florence, Italy
Artist: Rob Tucker
A cause near and dear to me: Alzheimer’s Association
Thing to collect obsessively: Mother jeans and handbags
Era in the history of design: Mid-Century
Museum: The Warhol Museum
Paint Color that always looks great: Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: @Kalejunkie
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs
