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Media Platforms Design Team

David A. Keeps: Pale upholstery, chinoiserie, antiques — are you going for a sun-bleached Park Avenue look?

Mark D. Sikes: We were thinking more of a Caribbean island vibe. We go to St. Barts once a year, and we're so drawn to the aesthetic of those homes, the white floors and walls, the indoor-outdoor living. Oscar de la Renta is another inspiration — I worship him. His rooms have a casual elegance that is the definition of chic. I love that refined, lived-in look. I want everything to be pretty, but I want people to be able to relax and enjoy it.

You and your partner, Michael Griffin, are visual merchandisers who have worked in fashion. How does that affect your decorating?

We approach it in much the same way. The key thing is accessorizing. One of the foremost things on our mind was to showcase our collections in the best possible way. We collect a lot of things: blue and white Chinese porcelain, boxes, silver objects, coral, ikats, vintage Hermès ashtrays, Astier de Villatte, books, magazines. We have a 20-year magazine collection.

You really have a knack for tablescaping. What's the secret to doing it well?

I don't actually think it needs to be done well, it just has to be whatever you love. One of our own rules is that nothing should have nothing on it, so even the kitchen counters have objects. When I see an empty table, I shudder a bit. There are times when thoughtful minimalism can be the right thing. A table with one vase of flowers and one little accessory is thoughtful, while a gorgeous table with copies of Us and People magazines just looks neglectful.

Other than 'neglectful,' what words do you never hope to hear uttered about your home?

"Trendy,' 'uncomfortable,' 'decorated,' 'done.' I want people who know us to walk in and say, 'You've stayed true to yourselves.'

What's your truth?

We tend to be more traditional, but we also feel every room should have some modern elements. If everything is one note, it doesn't feel right. It's the mix— masculine and feminine, rough and soft, light and dark, high and low — that makes a room feel great.

Show me where you've mixed the plain and the fancy.

The living room is a perfect example. You have bamboo chairs that you would normally see on a porch, sitting in the same room as this very grand chinoiserie armoire and a gilded console. The wallpaper in the dining room is quite formal, but the gingham linen on the chairs and the natural fiber Roman shades are casual elements that keep the room from being fussy.

What else does a house need?

Consistency, a flow from room to room. The beauty of this house is in the consistent threads that make it feel cohesive — the white floors and walls, Belgian linen drapes, woven rugs, stacks of books, blue and white. There are black moments everywhere, which is really good on the eye with all this white. And the aesthetic of the interior carries through to the outdoors. It feels like one big tied-together space.

What do you avoid like the plague?

I hate recliners and matching sets of furniture, and it's very predictable to come into a room and have the sofa sitting across from chairs. I like furniture that floats in the room.

What's your personal style?

Simple, classic, understated. Tailored blazers, blue shirts, white jeans. I've been wearing blue shirts since I was a little boy, and if I'm going out shopping, I'll buy another pair of white jeans. I have 50 pairs.

So you look like your house.

The interior is almost a literal translation of my wardrobe.

Design-wise, what do you think the future is going to be about?

Functionality. Less-formal rooms. And there will be more decorators using purple. I hate purple.

What would you like to design?

I want a store someday. It would be clothing and home furnishings mixed together in an environment that looks very much like this. I'd love to have trunk shows right here with Céline, Chloé, Stella McCartney. But right now my blog, markdsikes.com, is my design challenge. It's a complicated process to take what you're so familiar with and figure out how to say it in an appealing way that tells a story.

What do you write about?

Chic people, glamorous places, stylish things. All my passions.

Which chic people would you match with your rooms?

The library feels a little bohemian with the paisley and ikat, so I think it would have to be Talitha Getty's. Downstairs the rooms are more formal. I'd put C.Z. Guest in the living room, Lee Radziwill in the dining room, Slim Aarons or Carine Roitfeld in the brown guest bedroom. I could see Lauren Hutton in any room of this house. She's so all-American. Or someone more classically elegant, like Cary Grant. And if Cate Blanchett called and wanted to make a love story with Jude Law here, I'd let her. But that would all be up to Lily. She's our beloved French bulldog, and it's her house. Michael and I just live here.