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Hampton Style, 18 July 2005
"Style Makers: Markham Roberts"
This decorator finds more than fun on the East End
Some jobs really are sink or swim. Thank goodness Markham Roberts knows how to swim, and not just off the beaches of the Hamptons. Roberts, who is still several years shy of forty, is shaping up as one of the top interior designers of the moment. When he apprenticed with Mark Hampton over a decade ago, Roberts found himself at the much lauded Park Avenue penthouse of Gayfryd and Saul Steinberg, the corporate takeover king and his fabulous socialite spouse. As he remembers, "I was blown away. It was my very first day of work, and Mark took me up to see that apartment, which was incredibly grand, full of beautiful furniture and art."
Apparently, the boy from Indianapolis did something right during his tenure with Hampton, the legendary interior designer. After working there six years - on projects ranging from the American Embassy in Paris to Blair House in Washington D.C. to high profile apartments in New York and houses across the nation - Roberts went out on his own and never looked back.
Now, he is in the spotlight, and decorating in the Hamptons is a regular part of his business. One of his projects - a 15,000 square foot house in Southampton on Foster Crossing - was profiled on PBS' décor show FIND! Roberts used James Sansum Fine & Decorative Arts for many of the furnishings that grace the house. He is currently renovating and decorating a beautiful 1880's stable on First Neck Lane for new clients and an old farm house in Bridgehampton. Charlotte Ford also remains a client and a good friend. "Charlotte is a longtime client," says Roberts. He has done her apartment in New York, her former residence in Southampton and is working on her new house, also in Southampton.
Roberts says he loved growing up in America's heartland but after going to Brown University, he knew he was headed east to stay. While he calls Manhattan home, he loves the Hamptons (where he says he is a "perennial house guest"). "Once you're out, it is so beautiful, but I hate the Long Island Expressway," Roberts admits sheepishly. When he isn't barbecuing with friends he likes to chow down at Red Bar but also confesses to hitting the Manorville McDonald's. As for shops, this decorator thinks there is no better place than the Hamptons to find objects to decorate a home. His all-time favorites include the well-known Mecox Gardens and Apsara in the Red Horse Plaza. Even when working on projects in tony Westchester towns like Bedford, Roberts admits he still likes to shop for accessories out East.
His style can be couched as eclectic: while he hates period rooms, he does value antiques and likes to mix them with modern elements. What defines his work most is the ease with which he makes homes elegant but comfortable. "I hate living rooms that nobody goes in. They should be used," he feels.
For now, Roberts maintains a small office with a gallery on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. "I work on everything myself. I hate that out of control feeling." Roberts has the good fortune to have projects that challenge him. Working in the Hamptons is an added bonus for this beach-lover: "An ideal day is waking up, going to the beach with my godson and looking for shells." No need for a life jacket for this decorator; he's swimming along just fine.
"Style Makers: Markham Roberts"
This decorator finds more than fun on the East End
Some jobs really are sink or swim. Thank goodness Markham Roberts knows how to swim, and not just off the beaches of the Hamptons. Roberts, who is still several years shy of forty, is shaping up as one of the top interior designers of the moment. When he apprenticed with Mark Hampton over a decade ago, Roberts found himself at the much lauded Park Avenue penthouse of Gayfryd and Saul Steinberg, the corporate takeover king and his fabulous socialite spouse. As he remembers, "I was blown away. It was my very first day of work, and Mark took me up to see that apartment, which was incredibly grand, full of beautiful furniture and art."
Apparently, the boy from Indianapolis did something right during his tenure with Hampton, the legendary interior designer. After working there six years - on projects ranging from the American Embassy in Paris to Blair House in Washington D.C. to high profile apartments in New York and houses across the nation - Roberts went out on his own and never looked back.
Now, he is in the spotlight, and decorating in the Hamptons is a regular part of his business. One of his projects - a 15,000 square foot house in Southampton on Foster Crossing - was profiled on PBS' décor show FIND! Roberts used James Sansum Fine & Decorative Arts for many of the furnishings that grace the house. He is currently renovating and decorating a beautiful 1880's stable on First Neck Lane for new clients and an old farm house in Bridgehampton. Charlotte Ford also remains a client and a good friend. "Charlotte is a longtime client," says Roberts. He has done her apartment in New York, her former residence in Southampton and is working on her new house, also in Southampton.
Roberts says he loved growing up in America's heartland but after going to Brown University, he knew he was headed east to stay. While he calls Manhattan home, he loves the Hamptons (where he says he is a "perennial house guest"). "Once you're out, it is so beautiful, but I hate the Long Island Expressway," Roberts admits sheepishly. When he isn't barbecuing with friends he likes to chow down at Red Bar but also confesses to hitting the Manorville McDonald's. As for shops, this decorator thinks there is no better place than the Hamptons to find objects to decorate a home. His all-time favorites include the well-known Mecox Gardens and Apsara in the Red Horse Plaza. Even when working on projects in tony Westchester towns like Bedford, Roberts admits he still likes to shop for accessories out East.
His style can be couched as eclectic: while he hates period rooms, he does value antiques and likes to mix them with modern elements. What defines his work most is the ease with which he makes homes elegant but comfortable. "I hate living rooms that nobody goes in. They should be used," he feels.
For now, Roberts maintains a small office with a gallery on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. "I work on everything myself. I hate that out of control feeling." Roberts has the good fortune to have projects that challenge him. Working in the Hamptons is an added bonus for this beach-lover: "An ideal day is waking up, going to the beach with my godson and looking for shells." No need for a life jacket for this decorator; he's swimming along just fine.