As part of the New York School of Interior Design’s lineup of spring programming, architect Gil Schafer will be hosting February’s event, “Creating Places to Call Home: How Tradition, Style and Memory Can Inspire Ways of Living.” Schafer chatted with EAL about his upcoming talk, how it ties into his recently released book and what he is hoping resonates with the attendees.
How did you get involved with NYSID and the school’s public programming?
The New York School of Interior Design is renowned for their intelligent, robust programming, and I’m thrilled to be speaking there again at an event co-sponsored by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.
I’ve always believed that education, including ongoing/continuing education, is an important part of our work, so much so that my office regularly participates in field trips and various other educational opportunities together. NYSID is an important part of the interior design and architecture community, educating the next generation and continuing to inspire those of us working in the field. I’m also happy to say that we have three graduates of NYSID working in the office right now.
How did you select your topic?
This lecture is based on my recently released book A Place to Call Home, I wanted to explore how important a sense of place is, not just for the architecture and decoration of a house, but for the lives of the people who live there. I will also share with the audience some of my “toolkit” for creating a new house—those essentials that are part of every project we design. In addition to these tangible guidelines, I will also share some of the more intuitive elements of my work. I will take attendees on a tour of several projects from around the country—including Northern California, New England, Georgia and my own house in Maine—each in a unique place, and each with a character all its own.
Can you speak to your design philosophy?
I design houses to be comfortable, gracious, understated, hopefully beautiful, and to stand the test of time. Since I’m a traditional architect, people assume I’m only interested in classical design. But in fact, I love a broad range of design. I think you look to be inspired by things that are beautiful and move you—wherever your eye might take you.
What are you hoping attendees take away from the program?
My hope is that the audience will find inspiration for their own lives, houses and practices—appreciating, as I do, that a true home is one that is timeless, comfortable, bends and evolves with you as your family grows, and is a place for creating memories, even in the smallest moments of life.
Schafer’s lecture will be at 6 p.m. on February 15 at the Arthur Satz Auditorium (170 East 70 St.). Tickets are available online for the general public.
