The work of New York-based designer Meg Sharpe may be immediately familiar to groovy Gotham swells, but Sharpe herself has managed to remain surprisingly under-the-radar. Born in San Francisco and educated in the UK, Sharpe began her professional career in the office of Los Angeles-based office of Kelly Wearstler before moving to New York to work on Ralph Lauren’s international store design team.
Ultimately, she established her own firm, Meg Sharpe Interiors, in 2011 and, since then, has tackled some of New York’s most celebrated restaurants, including the Lion, the Crown and Bill’s Food & Drink — along with the newly-opened Diamond Horseshoe lounge at The Paramount Hotel. Next up for Sharpe: Newly-imagined interiors at Miami’s Shelborne Hotel — slated to open later this spring. We sat down with Sharpe to talk design, travel and the enduring elegance of quality books.
When it comes to designing a hotel, the most important element is always lighting. Good lighting is critical for setting a space’s mood as well as defining the tone for rooms to come. Lighting is crucial for telling a designer’s story — whether at a hotel or at home.
I am a huge fan of French designer Jacques Garcia — particularly the work he did at La Mamounia in Marrakech. I love the hotel’s overall layout and sense of urban planning — with huge gardens and dramatic concourses; it’s grand and yet refined.
One key design lesson folks can take from hotels is bedding. I am always putzing around hotel rooms looking at beds and the ways in which they are set up. How are the pillows placed? What kind of bedding do they have? Is a throw rug used? People can often shop for these items in local markets and have a great souvenir to take home.
For years, London was among my favorite shopping destinations, but I recently spent time in Venice and was amazed by the artisanal, family-run boutiques I found. There are names like Fortuny for accessories and fabrics and Bevilacqua for tapestries. Venice has this amazing ornate architecture that is both over-the-top yet works with contemporary living.
Flair, in SoHo, is among my favorite places to shop in New York City, and I always find something when I am there. I recently stumbled upon these amazing 1930s Art Deco brass cobra lamps, for instance, that I initially thought about for a client. Of course, I ended up keeping them for myself. The shop really knows how to present products so you can visualize how to live with them.
Books always make for the most elegant gifts — especially oversized books, which people can display proudly and talk about at parties. I really like to visit Rizzoli’s flagship store here in New York — for me it always feels like I am entering a wondrous old home.