We welcome Los Angeles based interior designer and writer David Netto this week. David’s work has been featured in Vogue, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and many more. David is on the AD100 list, and has also written about the history of architecture and ensign for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times Style Magazine and is now a contributing editor for Town and Country. In our conversation, we talk with David about his inspiration for design, and his gorgeous new self-titled book. David shares more about how he creates a furniture plan, his love of the dramatic in design, and he shares a few practical tips for creating elegance in your home.
An excerpt from David Netto’s self-titled monograph, available for purchase here.
What You’ll Hear This Episode:
- David’s father owned the historic fabric house, Cowtan & Tout.
- From an early age, David had an appetite and appreciation for theater in decor, and combining the modern with antique.
- How and why a slightly unfinished look can be elegant.
- Using chairs like chess pieces in design.
- A few of David’s other versatile tools to make rooms like artsy, dramatic and bohemian.
- How a cooking star influenced David’s self-titled book.
- Storytelling is the foundation of good decorating.
- How David starts creating a furniture plan.
- Afraid of a beautiful chocolate brown wall? Don’t be!
- What David looks for when choosing fabric or upholstery.
- East vs. West coast design.
- The importance of having a team of greatly skilled people who can play up to your own strengths.
Decorating Dilemma:
Good Morning!
We purchased an old historic home with the intention of renovating from top to bottom and fixing the faux pas of previous owners. Thus the dilemma no one can agree on; the 1980’s bookcases.
The idea behind them as a library was great just maybe not executed well and now I’m just not sure what to do.I want to rip them down and just the drywall, potentially put up some beautiful painted moulding, where every one else in my circle from realtors to decorators say keep them.
Buuut, keeping them comes with challenges because if I am going to keep them, the MUST be painted, which isn’t an inexpensive endeavor and I would prefer if they went to to crown and could install beautiful pictures lights (see my rendering) but that’s not possible without taking down the existing beautiful crown.
Thanks,
Rachel
Thank you for writing in, Rachel!
First, David is going to dream. In a world where construction is possible, we would cut that window straight ahead down to the floor and turn it into a French window that has a railing. In reality though, David would demolish the bookcases on the left and right, and retain them just at the end.
He would invest in four clipped bookcase lights (there’s a store in London that he loves for this) and some nice paint. Also, David would paint the floor with high gloss paint! Something to keep in mind and put on your list, if you agree!
– How to Decorate
Also Mentioned in This Episode:
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Happy Decorating!
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