Like Mother, Like Darling

We asked interior designer Mally Skok and her collection loving daughter, Gabriella, about their whimsical, antique layered, maximalist style.

-  KATHRYN O'SHEA EVANS

Mally and Gabriella Skok, above, sit under a watercolor Mally made for her darling daughter, as she calls her. It says "kind heart, fierce mind, brave spirit." Built-in bookshelves and Farrow & Ball Red Earth paint enhance the ultimate reading spot, right. Using high-gloss paint for the nook separates it a notch from the rest of the room.

The best inheritance in Mally Skok's family is an unquenchable thirst for charm. We joined the mother-daughter duo on a tour of Gabriella's New York City apartment and sought out the best secrets of their style DNA.

Q I feel unbridled jealousy over your apartment. Tell me about it.

GABRIELLA: It's really a representation of our family. Both of my parents are South African and moved to England, where I was born. We moved to the States when I was little, so I've always had a global perspective on design and aesthetics, and traveling back to South Africa to visit my mom's side of the family has been a huge part of my love of color and maximalism. Through my maternal grandmother, I inherited a deep relationship with antiques. It's not just an affinity: They're more than objects to us. They are living things we cohabitate alongside. Even the most cheapo basket that we bought in the market on a trip is an heirloom to us because it's part of a shared memory from our travels together. It's much like an eclectic mix of high, low; English, South African, New York cosmopolitan; a little bit old school, a little bit new school.

Q Decorating this together, where did you disagree?