Interview with Paul Demartini

Designer Marketplace (DM):  Williams-Sonoma Home’s style is a so different from west elm, yet you decorate for both brands. What different approaches do you take in decorating from a classic, traditional point-of-view versus one that’s young, hip and modern?

Paul Demartini (PD): I actually take an opposite approach. I try to make west elm feel a little more classic, to warm up the straight lines and modern look. With WS Home, I try to make it a little more casual, more approachable and lived in. This approach works because both already have such strong styles and aesthetics.

DM:  west elm has the intriguing tagline, "A New Way to Decorate." What new ways of decorating are you implementing in west elm showrooms now? Are there designer methods that translate well from the store to the home?

PD: The new way to decorate is all about the right mix. Old with new, smooth with textured, high with low. Nothing should appear too staged or look like it was done in one day. A room can have a sense of history and change. I enjoy the unexpected, like vases with single branches found in your yard instead of flowers, or many small tables used as a coffee table.

DM: Williams-Sonoma Home sells through beautiful aspirational photographs. When you stage the set for a photo shoot, what do you do to make a room look great in a photograph?

PD: When I set up for a photo shoot, my goal is always to make you want to live there. The beds should always make you want to jump into them for the best night’s sleep. The beautiful dining table should make you want to sit down. I also find the best camera angles and the right light. Often a shoot looks great through the camera and not to the naked eye. But nothing makes a shot look better than natural light, like beautiful sunlight streaming on the floor.

DM: What are your top three no-fail decorating tricks that work in any home regardless of style?

PD: My number one rule is decorate with what you love. People always pick up on that. Beyond that, group objects together with a common theme or color, like white vases, white books and white textures. Or black-and-white photographs linked by the same subject, frame or mat color. And never place furniture against the walls of a room, if possible. Moving furniture closer to the center creates conversation areas, and also makes the room look bigger.