Design Luncheon at The Maidstone Club Hosted by The East Hampton Historical Society

Stephen Sills & David Netto

MAKING HOUSES & GARDENS:

A Recap of a Lovely Summer Luncheon 

at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton

on August 10th

photographs provided by East Hampton Historical Society

credit, Rossa Cole

the 7th annual East Hampton Historical Society's Luncheon Series
at the Maidstone Club

I am happy to inform about last week's Summer Lecture Luncheon Hosted by The East Hampton Historical Society.  Firstly, I am grateful to be invited each year to this wonderful seven-year tradition where guests hear from design talents followed by a delicious luncheon overlooking the roaring ocean at the iconic Maidstone Club in East Hampton.  

This year, we heard from interior designer Stephen Sills who (although he claims he is a nervous speaker) was relaxed, funny as heck and enthralling. Sills walked us through his design journey- the road he traveled to becoming an iconic interior designer today while telling us of his beginnings from his hometown in Oklahoma where as a boy he collected magazine room schemes to inform his design sensibility, to designing homes today for an impressive roster of clients- including celebrities Tina Turner and Martha Stewart (his neighbor).  It's a good testament to him that almost all his clients become life-long friends.  The slide show of Sill's works showed an eclectic array of homes that takes on both modern and traditional sensibilities with a lovely thread of antiques in almost all his interiors.  His designs are layered yet edited and his love for art, history and architecture is evident in his work.  It's no wonder Karl Lagerfeld (also a client) described his home in Bedford as "the chicest house in American"

All of this was told to us in an interview style Q&A led by another great talent and designer, David Netto (who wrote the text for Sill's newly debuted book).  The book, A Vision for Design (Rizzoli) is available in book stores now. We laughed at the fun banter between Netto and Sills, their friendship and familiarity palpable. The event was sponsored by the Wilmington Trust and proceeds from the program will benefit the East Hampton Historical Society.