This week we travel to New York to catch up with interior designer Philip Mitchell and his very cute dogs. Philip is based in New York and Toronto, and has been featured in Traditional Home, House and Home Magazine and Canada’s Style at Home Magazine. We talk with him about his beautiful captain’s house in Nova Scotia, his approach to restoration, fun and affordable ways to add texture and details, and the art of mixing historic with contemporary and modern comfort.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- How he and his husband ended up falling in love with Nova Scotia, and purchasing and restoring a 1795 captain’s house in a beautiful Seaside Village
- His love and respect for historic homes, and inspiration to maintain the integrity and sentiment of the original home during the restoration process
- How they found an incredible contractor to renovate their home with an artisan yet liveable approach.
- The differences between current New York and Canada interior design trends and lifestyles
- A fun “this or that” word game where we put Philip to the test of some of his favorite things including textures, finishings, patterns, panel molding and storage options
- Why you shouldn’t be afraid to reuse what you already have, and take your drapery with you when moving out
- In interior design – if you love it, you can incorporate it
- Philip’s attitude towards furniture and pieces is to not focus on perfection, but comfort and the beauty within the story.
- What Philip means when he says he is “big on appropriateness”
- How to have the big talk with your partner about painting the wood in a room
- Philip’s journey into interior design through growing up surrounded by women that appreciated a beautifully furnished home and environment
- His participation with the 2018 Kips Bay Show House to benefit the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club charity
- What Philip personally collects throughout his own travels and personal experiences
Decorating Dilemmas
I have a square dining room that’s 13×13 feet. I’m debating on a 60in or 72in round table. Which size would fit best?
-Diana
Depending on how you intend to use the space and your entertaining style, Philip would suggest a round table that is on the smaller side and filling the room with more beautiful things, focal points and closed storage. We also feel as though you will use the 60in table on a day to day basis, and the 72in one for special occasions. So, looking into a table extender may be able to solve that problem and add extra space for the times when you need it!
Show Notes
- Philip Mitchell
- Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
- Seven Mile Beach
- Suzanne Kasler Decorates a Small New York Apartment – Her Daughter’s
- Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club
- 2018 Kips Bay Show House
- Pioneer Table Extenders
- @PhilipMitchellDesign
