"I try really hard to make rooms not be coordinated and be ultramatched," Clarke says of his masterful mix of patters, colors, and furnishings. While many designers begin with a rug or a piece of art work to set a palette, Clarke chooses upholstery first. "I can go so many different directions with different rugs, pillows, and all kinds of things that I can change - but as long as I get that foundation of upholstery, I'm good," he explains.
"When you start with a rug, you tend to sit on the rug and put fabrics on top of it," he says. "You pick all these thing to go with it, and the room ends up looking very coordinated. By leaving the rug for last, I can come with my rug guy, try five or six, and I leave the coolest one. Sometimes the rug you never thing is going to work is the one that does, and that's what makes it feel good."
A comfortable balance of patterns is part of what Clarke calls inherited ease" - a casualness that comes from elements you've brought along with you over time and that go together but don't match. He believes patterns in a room should derive from different inspirations (varied cultures, hues, motifs) to avoid looking thematic. They must vary in scale, too - some large, some little. "I can bring a carload of pillows and mix them until we find the right sloppy-casual look we want," he says.
In this house the core inspiration for fabrics and furnishings is Indian with a big of streamlined Moroccan - infusing the Spanish bones with an updated, global slant. The living room curtain is an Indian print, as are some of the pillows, which also include batik motifs and a number of vintage fabrics. "If we'd print used plain fabrics all in solids, it would have looked bland," Clarke explains. If your home is a blank slate architecturally, "go with what you like," the designer advises. "But make sure you are true to your original idea so it looks intentional."
Clarke's mix of furniture styles demonstrates a similar philosophy - one that avoids clichés and just-like-your neighbor impression. He comfortably juxtaposes new pieces, vintage modern icons, and exotic antiques. His secret? "I don't know that there is a scientific reason that makes it all work," he says. "It's like sculpture. You keep adding things, and the more times I can use pieces that are vintage or fabric that is vintage, the more comfortable the room feels. Vintage fabrics are something that lots of other people don't have. In this house, it goes back to the cleaner, more modern look we were trying to create."
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