Billy Baldwin Interiors — Interiors & Icons

1903 - 1983

“Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style”

Early influences: Frances Elkins, Jean-Michel Frank

Notable clients: Diane Vreeland, Cole Porter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Paul Mellons

Billy Baldwin, also-known-as ‘The Great American Decorator’ or ‘Dean of Indigenous Decorators’ was both a classicist and a modernist. His work was sleek, polished and neat, he preferred clean-cut, pared-down look and rejected baroque, rococo and florid. Most importantly, his work was American with a distinct feeling of Americanness. It was all about comfort and simplicity while keeping luxury in the equation. According to him “furniture must be comfortable,” as “that is the original purpose of it, after all.”

Originally from Baltimore, Baldwin moved to New York in 1935 to work with Ruby Ross Wood and stayed with her until 1950. After Wood’s death, Baldwin started his own studio and continued creating beautiful rooms for another 20 years, until his retirement in 1973.

One thing I really like about his approach is keeping and reusing the pieces his clients already owned rather than throwing out everything and starting from scratch. He was a real expert on mixing the old and new and he was an advocate for working around his client’s personality and taste.

His signature look included cotton, plain draperies, off-white and plaid rugs, pattern on pattern, corner banquettes, slipper chair and dark walls - One good example is his own Manhattan apartment with chocolate-brown lacquered walls, slipper chairs and his iconic brass bookcases, which I absolutely adore!

His style and interior projects are timeless and still remain relevant and stylish.

Fun fact: He hated the term ‘interior designer’ and preferred ‘decorator’ as his title.

Books: Billy Baldwin Decorates & Billy Baldwin, The Great American Decorator