The Masters: Mariette Himes Gomez

Recently I've developed an obsession with those gigantic coffee table books, especially those by the great interior decorators of the world.

One of the first big celebrity designer books I lugged home from the library a few months back was American designer Mariette Himes Gomez's lovely 2003 book, entitled "Rooms." Interior Designer Mariette Himes Gomez

In case you didn't know, Gomez was named one of Architectural Digest's top 100 interior designers and architects on their famous AD100 list. In other words, greater design minds than mine have blessed her with the keys to AD's inner sanctum and she now has job security for life (had that been a concern). Which it wouldn't be because she's a decorating goddess, a master decorator (if there were such a title), one of the reigning grand dames of classic design, in my humble opinion. Gomez is the Emily Post of good design etiquette, patiently following the rules with impeccable good taste and restraint.

I loved "Rooms" because it presented a lovely set of essays on various decor subjects to help you get your head around various issues. She divulges tons of great decorating tips and rules, if you will, that are less rules and more just hard-won learnings from years of practice and finally learning what works!

Gomez is old-school and believes in knowing the rules before you can break them. Gomez has a very particular point of view, even if her rooms seem familiar in their unerring and somewhat traditional perfection. She calls herself a minimalist, but looking at her rooms I think she means that she restrains within herself a desire to over-decorate. I don't consider her rooms minimal at all, but looking closely you do see evidence of restraint, that only perfectly chosen things find their way into her rooms. There is never too much...just enough in every room. Each element is painstakingly studied and worked-out. For a woman who is a master of decoration and a lover of art and furniture, I imagine that chosing the few key elements for a room would require such immense restraint that she probably does feel like a minimalist, even if her rooms aren't exactly spare!

Gomez is also an advocate of the white or off-white room (after my own heart, she is!). I think practically every room I've seen attributed to her is white or off-white (with the odd blue room for good measure). By the way, her favorite paint colour is Donald Kaufman #5, which she calls essentially a perfect white. White rooms are her canvas because her furniture and art selection are impeccable and take center stage.

She's also an advocate of getting your "shell" (i.e. the bones of the room) straightened out before decorating. Sort out and improve (or remove) mouldings and trim, re-plaster if you must, and clean up the architectural elements first. Once this is done, the canvas is ready for decorating!

Draperies and furniture placement can be used to balance "not so perfect" spaces. For example, she notes that two identical chairs used in a room, placed side by side, can add a note of structure to an otherwise plain or off-balance room. Drapes and valances can be used to help line up off-kilter windows. She's a fan of symmetry, but mentions that too much (more than 3 pairs of anything in a room) can be, well, too much!

Gomez, besides being an advocate of impeccable arcitecture and a perfect white shell, is an art afficionado. She recommends buying the best art you can afford, things you love, that speak of your character, to fill your home.

I could write more, but unfortunately I inadvertently returned the library book "Rooms" with all my Post-Its still inside and can't give you all the quotes I'd intended! That same day, I picked up her new (2007) book entitled "Houses", where she talks about all the elements of a great house. I haven't studied this book the way I have "Rooms" (which is on my Christmas list), but I will pore over it in the next few weeks.

Gomez's writing is enjoyable and approachable. She's a lovely writer and is frank in her point of view, but also quietly acknowledges that the reader might not be quite as well-heeled as some of her clients. She mentions places where you can save money (lamps, for example) but where a little extra expense is well worth it (down pillows!). She talks about buying great art but also loves the whimsical little objects and grassroots artifacts of bygone years that are precious to us, if no one else. So despite her sucess, Gomez seems to be utterly grounded.

Here is a quote from her book "Houses" that I like:

"I need to have my things around me. They speak to me in their own tongues. They have become the fabric of my life, as do yours. You put them in the house, and the house becomes a vessel, an anthology of tales."

I encourage you to read more about her and to look at her work and her lovely books carefully. This is a woman with a lot to teach us about great design. Her style is classic and restrained and somewhat formal to many, but I think she has a great philosophy to share about loving our homes, even if you don't love her style. And on that, we can all agree!