Decorator in chief

Fill in the blank: "I knew I was going to be a decorator when ... " At 10, when I couldn't stop redoing my room. I would become obsessed with certain countries. I would read, eat and decorate Russian or Spanish or whatever.

Most beautiful room you've ever been in? The King's bath at Versailles.

Best movies for the interiors? "The Leopard," "On a Clear Day," "Boom," "Portrait of a Lady," "The Mission."

How are your gifts wrapped? Brown paper, black ribbon. Always.

What happens if you design a piece of furniture for a client and it ends up looking [really bad]? It moves into my house. Often for a long, long time.

Does every grand room need something humble? Yes, and something brown.

Armani or Versace? Armani.

What kind of shoes do you wear? Keds, Clarks desert boots, John Lobb.

Fancy people all seem to have a binder containing all their house's vital info. Do you? Yes, it has phone numbers, housekeeping instructions, maintenance details, manuals and warranties.

Yea or nay on fake flowers? I love them, but they must be good ones and placed in areas where your perception is softened -- not unlike on a movie set. Diane James makes the best ones.

How do you feel about the decorator-karate-chopped pillow? That move should be punishable with a jail sentence.

What about family photos in the living room? Ditto.

What are your best styling friends? Antique textiles, beautiful boxes and books.

You have a big TV set on a gilt table in your bedroom. Why does that make me so happy? It's about the juxtaposition of grand and simple. Also, life should be about workability and function. Televisions make our lives more interesting and better, so why sequester them?

What do you stockpile? Equator coffee -- which is what they serve at the French Laundry -- chocolate bars from Pierre Hermé in Paris, moisturizer from La Roche-Posay, organic conditioner from Whole Foods and pomegranate bath oil from Santa Maria Novella.

What's your best source for something that looks so fancy but so isn't? The Metropolitan Museum of Art store for classical busts and torsos.