A Love Letter

Dear Mr. Baldwin,
I understand that I am not the first designer to profess my love for you and your talent, but here I go anyways!
What you did for American design is incredible. The way you mixed old and new, masculine and feminine, textures and colors, was more than brilliant, it was genius. The timeless designs you have created has shaped American design in more ways than one. I just want to simply say thank you. Thank you for showing the world your talent and sharing your gift with us!
Love,




While studying at Ursuline College I was given the opportunity to write a paper on an Interior Designer of my choice, and that is where my love affair with Billy Baldwin’s talent began! Billy Baldwin, PLEASE, NEVER MISTAKE HIM FOR ONE OF THE BALDWIN BROTHERS, he is far too talented to for that, was an iconic designer who lived until 1984. For those of you that are unfamiliar with him, Baldwin created stunning interiors as well as furniture pieces. I have posted some of his great works and quotes for you to enjoy!


The Blue Salon of La Fiorentina on the French Riviera:
“Comfort is perhaps the ultimate luxury.”


“Tall Room”, Woodson Taulbee Apartment, and yes, that is his signature slipper chair!:
"Great blends of pattern, like great dishes, must be carefully tasted. And constant tasting is what teaches a cook how to taste."


Bonnie McIlhenny Wintersteen’s Bedroom:
"Color should not be subject to the rules of fashion."


Mrs. Mollie Parnis Livingston's Living Room:
"Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style."


Mrs. Gilbert Miller's Living Room:

"A person with a real flair is a gambler at heart."


Mr. and Mrs. Lee Eastman's Living Room
"There is magic...in the deep-jewel-colored room, warm and mysterious, where you discover its many beauties as you sit, seduced slowly."


I saved my favorites for last: Billy Baldwin’s Apartment and two more of his famous quotes:
"Never adopt a particular style and peddle it as your own. Always be personal, always be flexible. Many decorators fall into a trap, and when they finally want to do something a little different, they find they cannot because their clients have stereotyped them."

"If I find that something I am doing is becoming a trend, I run from it like the plague."

Images- Billy Baldwin Decorates, Architectural Digest