Dialog with Paulette Pascarella

The thing about German-born Interior Designer Harry is. . .

he is not a formula.

His bespoke heritage pushes the boundaries of the current commonplace beige palettes. His unexpected and magical uses of color and objects are expressed in interiors of striking variety.  The result of his vision is a bit of;  fashion designer Matthew Williamson meets Auntie Mame in Manhattan.  All about the sophistication of the mix, all about the statement.

Susanna Salk, design expert, author, and Today Show contributor says, “What I love about Harry is that, while his European upbringing underscores his traditional love of family and decorum, it is married with a completely forward approach that life is full of colorful possibility and surprise. And his vibrant rooms reflect that.”

Harry Heissmann launched his firm two years ago, after working with the venerable Albert Hadley. He is also involved in fundraising and charity ventures for several New York institutions, including the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, Holiday House to benefit Susan G Komen for the Cure, and this year will be his firm’s inaugural participation at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Show House.

Enjoy The Good Company of Harry Heissmann.

D:  Biggest thrill in your life?

HH: Having a pilot friend of mine give me the best tour of New York City…by way of helicopter.

D:  Critical moment in a designer’s life?

HH: Installation day

D:  Something you would like others to know about you?

HH:  There have to be secrets…

D:  What design lesson did you learn the hard way?

HH:  That leather is priced by the square foot.

D:  What is the signature quality of your work?

HH:  To be able to adapt to the needs of a client.

D:  What makes you feel most empowered?

HH:  Finding the perfect piece for a client’s home.

D:  What methodology do you use to begin your work?

HH:  Start with the floor plan and move forward.

D:  Where did your creative journey begin?

HH:  Living with my maternal grandmother Josefine. I literally grew up with her and most everything I know today, I learned from her. She was a very artistic person and actually learned porcelain painting at Meissen. Her artistry and creativity must have rubbed off on me.

D:  Your current obsession?

HH:  Antique Christmas tree stands.

D:  Favorite charity?

HH: God’s Love We Deliver

All photographs copyright: 1. Portrait: © Andrew French  2. © HH  3. © Larry Merz  4. © Carlos Domenech  5. © HH

 Michele Oka Doner is one of the lucky ones.

The one who accessed a calling from within and acted on it,

who allowed the images of her mind to work the movements of her hands,

the one who has a driving passion to create.

Oka Doner has an artistic oeuvre, which yields sculpture, furniture, jewelry, public art and functional objects.

I often select furniture pieces for large public spaces when working with my clients.

The bronze Radiant Disk Table and Ice Ring Bench, seen above, is a governing choice in my proposals.

She is represented in the public collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Detroit Institute of Arts,

American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum, among others.

Oka Doner has said, “Religion and spirituality exist all around us, binding humankind and nature together in dialogue;

art and design becomes the language for our conversation.”

Enjoy The Good Company of the widely celebrated Michele Oka Doner

in our conversation and short documentary video, From My Street,  filmed by Roland Hagenberg.

D:  Best lunch spot?

MOD:  Pearl’s Oyster Bar on Cornelia in the West Village. The Pearl Caesar Salad is full of garlic. The fried oysters are both briny and crispy. I love sitting at the counter and watching the action in the kitchen. Sometimes, I will end the meal with a hot fudge sundae.

D:  Best working tool?

MOD:  The Staedtler MARS graphic 3000 duo in black, of course. This pen has a brush on one end and a fat marker on the other. I have used other colors, like mahogany for specific projects, but the black is standard. We order them by the box.

D:  Favorite Museum?

MOD:  The Wolfsonian in Miami Beach. The Wolfsonian is a splendid container for the most unique collection in the country. Works of art and design are used as material culture instead of aesthetics as a curatorial lens. My favorite part of the museum is the ah-ha moment I feel as I enter the 1920’s restored structure and face the Norris Theatre Facade, a deco masterpiece in green and gold tile that was installed when the building was converted into a museum. I always throw a penny in the fountain beneath the floral motifs and make a wish. They all come true.

D:  Favorite color combination?

MOD:   My favorite color combination has always been black and gold. I think that comes directly from studying ancient Egypt and the exceptional inlays of both ivory and gold into ebony in the objects Carter discovered in Tut’s tomb. These publications were in our home when I grew up. Years later, when I was a student in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I attended the first blockbuster exhibition in Chicago when the objects traveled to the Field Museum. We drove five hours and then waited in line. That was devotion!

D:  What is your working studio like?

MOD:  My studio is an open plan in an old button factory converted to loft living over three decades ago. The high ceilings allow for long windows, and the natural light is pervasive. The loft itself functions as a cave, where spaces are differentiated by use, instead of walls. One section of the original floor has been kept untouched. I can see where the machinery was dragged out of the factory when the building changed hands in 1979. I keep my own heavy equipment, like the kiln, in this area. 

D:  What do you do in your spare time?

MOD:  Who has spare time? I walk. I love to walk. I was probably a nomad in another life. My idea of a great day is when I name a desirable destination and set out on an adventure by foot. Ten miles is optimum. This is not fast walking. It is more like exploring. In Miami and New York in the summertime, I create the longest and most exciting journeys. I do love walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, anytime. I like the wood underneath my steps, the view, the water rushing underneath, and the poetry of many who have extolled the wonders of this iron sculpture.

D:  What is your signature look?

MOD:  I like leggings. They are so comfortable. I also enjoy dresses. I have several uniforms I stick to in order to simplify my day. They all involve a body suit of leggings and a Hanro undershirt. Over this ensemble; I throw either a silk dress that is caftan-like and lets me move around easily or a jacket over the leggings. Weather dependent, I add a sweater under the jacket or a shawl over the dress and out I go. I stick to solid tones like most New Yorkers. Few accessories, mostly my own designs. Fitted dresses are saved for evening gowns

D:  Where did your creative journey begin?

MOD:  My maternal grandfather was a fresco painter trained at the Imperial Academy in Odessa. He studied at the National Academy when he arrived in NYC during the first decade of the last century. His paintings dominated my childhood. My mother had a great design sense and an artistic personality. She brought home bolts of fabric from every voyage, unset stones, and beautiful papers. I watched her transform these raw materials into creations that were beautiful. Everything she touched, including the dining room table, was curated and considered. 

D:  Favorite sandwich?

MOD:  I try not to eat sandwiches! That said, when Olives, the take out place for lunch in my neighborhood, offers the avocado, sprout, red onion and white cheddar cheese on seven-grain bread as a special, I give in. This sandwich manages to hit every sense. It is soft, tangy, crunchy, and surprising. 

D:  Favorite charity?

MOD:  Publicolor. Hands down, this wins, as one never feels better than when you depart from the high schools where the Color Club transforms drab into a bright future. I love to paint with our terrific New York school kids. Ruth Shuman has done an amazing job of energizing students and fellow citizens into an army with a paintbrush. I team lead every April when Publicolor has their yearly fundraiser.

All photographs copyright © Michele Oka Doner. 

 There is an expressive world, with free association to mythology, the Tarot and matters of nature seen the work of Manuela Zervudachi.

I first saw her bronze forms in Paris and have been haunted since.

Along with the objects, Manuela creates visual scenarios of organic forms,

drawn from childhood memories and spirited journeys.

These sketches become functional pieces such as torcheres, furniture, sconces and custom commissions.

Manuela’s exhibit, out of the blue,

sculptures, mobiles, luminaires, and bas reliefs, is currently on exposition at Galerie Dutko.

Manuela has recently collaborated with Annoushka Ducas 

to create a hard to resist collection of exquisite jewelry, Manuela.

 Enjoy the Good Company of Manuela Zervudachi.

D:  Best lunch spot?

MZ:  Rose Bakery on 30 rue Debelleyme, Paris 3ème.

D:  Best working tool?

MZ:  The thumb and forefinger of my right hand.

D:  Biggest thrill?

MZ:  Deep sea diving with a turtle in Sumatra, Indonesia.

D:  Favorite museum?

MZ:  The Guggenheim, New York.

D:  What do you do in your spare time?

MZ: I keep an extensive dream journal.

D:  Morning or evening person?

MZ:  Morning.

D:  What is your working studio like?

MZ:  My studio is a constantly changing place.

D:  What makes you belly laugh?

MZ:  English humour.

D:  Current obsession?

MZ:  Torn materials.

D:  Favorite charity?

MZ:  Orphan Aid Africa

Photographs used by permission, copyright © Manuela Zervudachi.