Marshall Watson, who lives in East Hampton, is known for his refined interiors and European -inspired aesthetics. It masterfully combines precision, harmony and history with reserved luxury and creates timeless, livable spaces. His deep understanding of historical periods and styles provides carefully researched designs that are always architecturally sensible.
Marshall's interiors are celebrated for their elegant dimensions and their grounded symmetry, which leads to a harmonious flow. It focuses on subtle repetitions of color, pattern and material. Its dimensions reflect architectural principles that are derived from Greek and Roman dimensions that contain the golden ratio.
I was introduced by the East Hampton Historical Society during the East Hampton House & Garden Tour 2024 in Marshall Watson and then again on the summer design lunch in summer, where Marshall discussed his latest Rizzoli book “Defining Elegance”.
Where was your childhood at home?
Prairie Village Kansas (Kansas City)
Is your inspiration of early memories?
I was inspired by my uncle, who was a landscape painter. I was inspired by my grandmother, who often paint me. My grandfather brought me to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art all the time; It was like our playground that played under Rodin sculptures. I liked the Kansas City Art Institute and knew many friends of our parents who worked for Hallmark cards, had wonderful art teachers, music teachers, drama teachers. My mother loved decorating and we grew up in a beautiful house with many antiques and beautiful things that had been convinced by generation. I redesigned my own bedroom in the high school with an acidity rock topic and hallucinogenic posters. Something different from what I'm doing now. In summer we traveled to Michigan, where we were in old flap huts with pastures and old things that had the scents of use and nostalgia.
When did you buy your house in East Hampton?
We bought our first 650 square meter house in the Richardson Avenue in Springs, and I decorated a storm that was influenced by my love for the Swedish design of the 18th century, unexpected, but really nicely … published in 11 magazines, and then we accidentally sold it (a different story). Paul found our Springs property in Gardiner's Bay. I designed and built the house after examining the houses of the Greek resuscitation ships in Sag Harbor and the federal details of the houses in Neuelfland and several southern plantations.
What is your favorite place to dine at the east end?
My favorite place in East Hampton for eating is on our bluff, at any time at late spring or early autumn. Especially when the moon rises. But when I have a place I really love, it is often 1770 house outside among the crepe myrt (and in winter I love the meatloaf in the Speakeasy cellar). When I look for the best prepared seafood at the eastern end of Long Island, I go to Bostwick's on the Bay and try Damians fabulous, creative cuisine … American, French and Pan Asian!
Tell us about the trip.
My journey to the design was cumbersome. I was a painter, artist, sculptor, then I decided on the world of the set design. I was a picturesque painter, and then I spent about a decade to follow my acting career on Broadway and in the soap opera: “When the world turns”. Set Design taught me a love of research, acting and taught me to watch, to listen carefully, to interpret. The painting taught me the love of a visceral moment. And my training in Stanford in engineering, art and English gave me the world's appreciation around me and developed my curiosity. My journey to the interior design was a combination of all of these factors and only made sense. I love people, I love to work with people, I love to realize their dreams and efforts, and I love to take care of people and make them happy.
How do these rooms reflect their design philosophy?
The rooms I create have a common denominator: elegance. My second book “Defining Elegance” speaks for my design philosophy: light, peace, balance, comfort, ratio, romance and harmony. I create rooms appropriate in every respect. They answer the dreams and efforts of my customers, detailed, complex, but apparently effortless, subtle and not noticeable, the background for the life of my customers, not the star of your show. I believe that all customers have taste and it is our job to recognize, recognize and develop their sense of taste. With all the design arrows in my design quiver.
Do you live in East Hampton all year round?
Yes, I live all weekend in East Hampton, every weekend in winter, and my shoulders are just as loved as our exquisite summer.
What is your favorite? Goal and inspiration?
In New York, the new Frick, the Metropolitan Museum, Met Opera, the Lincoln Center, Symphonic Music and Broadway – I am a cultural freak. France, England and Scandinavia are my inspiration for design, gardening and food.
Can you have an unforgettable collaboration with one? Architect that considerably Do you influence your design process?
Yes, I worked with the architect Stephen Morgan in a house in Cabo, which we built with exceptional sensitivity to classic Spanish/Italian influences, Mexican romance and Maya inspiration. The house and our interiors landed on the cover of Architectural Digest! Stephen is the collaboration of artists and architects, a problem solver, and he lives on Shelter Island.
How does your comprehensive knowledge of different periods and styles influence yours? Approach to design Interior?
I have always become familiar in the times of interior, architecture and furnishings. I have always loved research and poration about books and magazines to achieve inspiration. I take inspired wherever I travel in Europe and South America and in the USA. I think I'm just Mr. Curious. And I can see beauty in some cases. However, the opposite is also true. It hurts me to see thoughtless architecture, impersonal interiors and poorly proportioned furniture.
Your interiors are known for your calm and lightness – what specific techniques do you use to achieve this feeling of harmony?
I believe in preserving good architecture, be it traditional or modern as long as it is well observed, well executed and well thought out. I have used historical architectural elements such as iron cornquations from bank buildings, sophisticated carved doors from the late 19th century and even Terra Cotta carvings from the facade of the buildings that are carefully integrated into my interiors. There is a feeling of durability, history and of course the best way of recycling!
My interiors are known for their calm and lightness. I believe in bringing the light into my interiors as far as possible and in every conceivable way I can. I use a mirror in an unshakable way to increase the size of the room. I use high gloss color on blankets and molded parts to cum the light and give a considerable feeling. I keep the color pallets uniform than shocking. My interiors are not eclectic. The proportions are pleasant for the eye and there is always a feeling of balance and harmony. All of this contributes to a feeling of calm and lightness.
In your second book you present work from various environments. How do their design principles adapt different climate zones and Geographies?
We worked across the country and we worked worldwide. We believe that it is much more fun to integrate us into the environment and culture in which our customers have chosen life. We want Mexico to look like a Mexico imagination. We want Sweden to look like Sweden's imagination. We want New York to look like a New York imagination. We don't want Sweden to look like New York. We research and research. We absorb and try to maintain the essence of the location of the property and the environment of the country.
Could you describe how you translate the lifestyle of a homeowner and the history of a house into a differentiation? Design?
It is easy to translate the lifestyle of a homeowner into an unmistakable design. This is our job, and it is even more fun if the area scheme and the history of the building are interesting because we take all of this into account. We develop something really unique for our customers and their efforts. We have many design tools in our design toolbox through years of experience.
How do you integrate subtle repetitions into color, pattern or material to create a coherent and harmonious interior?
We call them design cues. For example, you can see the repetition of iron in my own apartment. You will see a repetition of brass in a subtle way, you will see a repetition of the same wood colors and see a repetition of blue and white, beautiful mahogany wooden tones from the 18th century. All of these clues merge the various elements and create a coherent and harmonious interior.
What advice would you give someone who would like to develop his own feeling for personal styles in interior design?
Test yourself. If you are interested in interior designers and want to develop your personal style, simply take a number of magazines, buy my book, visit the periods in the Metropolitan Museum, in the Brooklyn Museum, watch your own fashion feeling and the colors that you wear. What texture do you like? At what time are you dressed? And what art do you love? Keep your eyes and senses open for everything around you. Go to Europe and visit the big houses. Experience openly. Be endlessly curious and not evaluating. However, be analytical why something appeals to you and why something does not appeal to you. And sometimes you have to make a jump and make decisions. Then you will find your style.
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