INTERIOR Lives

DEREK C. BLASBERG talks to LAUREN SANTO DOMINGO and MARTINA MONDADORI about living in spaces created by a pair of interior-design visionaries-RENZO MONGIARDINO and FRANÇOIS CATROUX-and the most important LESSONS they LEARNED from working with these LEGENDS of HOME.

Mongiardino. Catroux. Precisely two names came to mind when I pondered topics for the Home issue.

Of course, the former is interiors legend Renzo Mongiardino, who was born in Genoa, Italy, based in Milan, and created ornate residences that were a mix of historical reverence, theatrical drama, and technical trickery. He loved rich fabrics, antique furniture, and bold colors; his clients included everyone from Gianni Agnelli to Aristotle Onassis. When he died in 1998 at the age of 81, the first line of his obituary in The New York Times noted that he was considered by many to be "the world's greatest living interior decorator."

So what if he hated the d word and preferred to be called a "creator of ambiance"? The latter: François Catroux, French modernist icon, who was born in Algeria and established his career in Paris, where he lived with his equally devastatingly chic wife, Betty, a muse to Yves Saint Laurent.

His interiors were havens of sophistication, where contemporary elements were seamlessly integrated with antique pieces. He passed away in 2020 at 83, and I'll never forget the opening line of his Times obit either: "A glamorous designer for the Rothschilds, Russian oligarchs, Greek and Arab princesses, fashion designers, media moguls, and South American billionaires what used be known as the jet set-died." Mongiardino and Catroux had vastly different styles. Mongiardino was a master of modern baroque and loved layers of trompe l'oeil; Catroux was the king of cool, all-clean lines and austere modernism.

But they remain two of my absolute favorite designers.

I also happen to know two women who live in the exquisite worlds they created.