Dan Mazzarini
photo by Reid Rolls
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? As luck has it, we DO have a second home on the North Fork (which we love). But, I left my heart in San Francisco, and I’d LOVE to have a place in NorCal wine country. St. Helena or Healdsburg, please.
What are three words to describe your style?
Crisp
Approachable
Layered
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? OMG - which version?!?! Like many, I spent a lot of time convincing my mom to help me - and then let me - redo my room. My first iteration had a mallard border and what I thought was a suuuuper chic comforter from JCPenney. In high school I got to update/upgrade - I painted most of the room navy blue, and the upper portion mustard yellow. My mom and I made a new “duvet cover” for the old JCPenney gal, out of plaid jewel-toned Calico Corner fabric. And I spent my hard-earned Pier 1 Imports money on a big painting for over my bed. (guess my age is showing by these two descriptions…) In between transformations, I secretly painted the inside of my closet to look like cow print…I have no idea why.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? I bought a Thomas O’Brien floor lamp - it's still in the Visual Comfort line, but I remember thinking it was sooooo fancy. I actually bought it at a Chambers outlet store on the UES when I made a dollar at my first design job. Still have it!
No room is complete without a little bit of black.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Filler
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Celery
A bar cabinet: Not much…
A song for:
Dinner at home: Nancy Meyers Kitchen on Spotify
Working at your desk: Kacey Musgraves “Velvet Elvis.”
Going for a run: Dua Lipa anything.
Biggest Vice? Martinis & chocolate cake.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? This is such a specific question - does it come from a first-hand experience?? I actually did experience this on a trip to Japan - I bought a mid-century dresser on eBay that I totally forgot about. When I got home it showed up…thank goodness I liked it and it fit.
To answer the question, I think it would be art…great black and white photography, Karyn Lyons paintings, and everything from March SF. I’d probably end up with 5 sets of different splatter dishware.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? For sure, at least in palette - I wear a lot of neutrals (and good basics) and I like some fancy accessories - shoes, bags, and watches. It's a high/low mix for sure. I’m a white button-down/ black turtleneck kinda guy.
Who is your star crush? Stanley Tucci - in every iteration.
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it?
Never say never, but I’ve yet to use chintz, and I love it.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Spaces that make people feel great.
photo by Adam Kane Macchia
A Few Favorites:
Movie: When Harry Met Sally or almost any rom-com.
Book: Me Talk Pretty One Day
Scent: Monocle 3 from Commes des Garcon, or a Hotel Costes candle
The fabric you always come back to: Stripes from Kerry Joyce and Ralph Lauren
Dream project: A resort - anywhere is fine with me!
Meal: Vine Street Cafe Bolognese
Drink: a dry vodka martini with olives (but not dirty.)
Hotel: Hotel Costes and Borgo Sant Andrea
Travel Destination: Paris and California
Artist: N/A
A cause near and dear to me: N/A
Thing to collect obsessively: Black and white photography
Era in the history of design: Deco
Museum: The Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen
Paint Color that always looks great: Intense White by Benjamin Moore
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: WhatisNewYork is a really silly one, if you live in NYC.
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? DOGS! They’re the best…right?
