THE MAN,
THE VISION,
THE STORY.

Kenneth R.

My design education started early on. My classroom: The Metropolitan Museum of Art!

More specifically the Egyptian Wing, where as a kid, I’d spend hours soaking in ancient imagery, patterns and colors. I later moved into the Greek and Roman galleries but not before I noticed a small side stairway in the middle of the Egyptian Wing. It went to the basement level where I discovered another passion: The Mets Costume Institute where Diana Vreeland reigned supreme!

Each exhibit was a showstopper not to be replicated. Le Belle Epoque, Imperial Russia, Hollywood! She didn't disappoint! Sumptuous textiles, costumes, accessories and environs made my head spin! Every aspect an inspiration for the senses.

It didn’t stop there either! At home, I’d comb through history and design books for hours. I must have read World Book Encyclopedia a dozen times, gleaning knowledge and ideas along the way.

With so mush inspiration bottled up, I started drawing and painting. Not one to limit my designs to paper, I proceeded to do watercolors within the Faux Boiserie I created on my bedroom walls! I later learned that the images I created were called Chinoiserie, but what did I know at the time in grade school?

My career started in fashion where I designed prints for some of 7th Avenues biggest names. I went on to found my first company where I continued to produce bespoke fabrics for labels such as Burberrys of London, Donna Karan, Zac Posen, Reem Acra and others. 

Interior design soon followed.

It’s at this point that I started creating assemblages. Made from antique and vintage components, I combine 16th century French parchment, 18th century silk fragments, vintage intaglios and Italian marbled paper, set into antique shadow boxes to create a modern fantasy of Grand Tour souvenirs. 

Working at the time in a Manhattan apartment with limited storage, I often joked how the components (culled from my many trips abroad ) had to fit in the overhead compartment!

One Kings Lane discovered my assemblages and featured me as one of their Designer Taste Makers and offered for sale my curated collection of antiques, objects, assemblages, and custom pillows. 

My fabrics have also been for sale through The Kaleidoscope Project at Bergdorf Goodman.

Photo by Paul Lang

A Global Affair

I find inspiration in my global travels. Whether I’m traversing the US, Europe, South America or Asia, something always catches my eye.

These influences bolster my aesthetic sense and help me guide clients through the design process.

Melding of the minds.

I’m a collaborator as much as I am your designer.

I view each client as a fashion collection; each with different tastes, needs, and budgets.

If you like glamour; are Zen; a traditionalist or contemporary; we can create an exciting space that suits your expectations.

For each job, I design and produce a signature bespoke textile. Brocades, velvets, or linens, for window treatments or upholstery; either custom dyed or woven; to make your space truly special and one of a kind.

featured in