Baron Roger de Cabrol’s career had a stellar start. After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, he became an assistant to Salvador Dalí. "My time spent with Dalí," he tells us, "had a huge impact on my work."
De Cabrol would later work with such interior design legends as Jacques Grange and Valerian Rybar and set up his own studio in the early 1990s.
Dalí’s influence can be seen in the decoration of Roger’s East Side loft apartment, especially in the living room: two gigantic red-velvet stiletto chairs, designed by de Cabrol, take center stage. Red is further picked up on the heartshaped bookends and in the drapes tantalizingly visible in the room beyond. The rest of the room is typically eclectic: “You can find beauty in many objects,” says de Cabrol, but he navigates traditional and contemporary stylings with equal chutzpah. The 1880s brick is left exposed, giving the home a warm but industrial vibe.
Comanches at Sunrise by Charles Schreyvogel is a focal point, accented by other curiosities, such as a huge lump of coral and an ornamental tortoise feature. It’s a place to relax without shutting out the pulsing energy of New York.
This incredible dwelling is featured in our new book, Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century, which highlights 400 of the world's best living spaces created by over 300 of the most influential people in interior design. (In keeping with such a mammoth and ground-breaking undertaking we decided to make it available in four different color cover choices.)
We asked Roger what it means to be featured in Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century and what is the most important aspect of a room that aesthetically minded buyers of the book can focus on. And, of course, we obviously had to ask him where in his own home he'll be placing his own copy of Interiors.
Roger expressed a huge love for the music room in the Parisian house of Hélène Rochas where the perfume house legend lived for over 50 years.
"The room is stunning! The contrasts of blues, greens and the light floor - I find it so elegant. It is both classic and modern as well. It is timeless." He also expressed admiration for Valerian Rybar's multi-mirrored bathroom in his Albany, NY house.
"The Valerian Rybar bathroom is my second choice. Rybar was one of my mentors and this room perfectly represents his spectacular sense of the use of materials and his natural flair for luxurious elegance. This bathroom is an open invitation in a magical setting."
"It is a great honor to be among such great talents," Roger told us. "All my life I have been surrounded by very talented people and it must have rubbed off a little." And he let us in on one of this interior design secrets.
"Whatever room I'm in I need to make it feel inviting, comfortable yet always have a distinctive touch of my own personality. People need not to be afraid of being creative, to let their imagination run wild.
Oversized and available in four collectable velvet covers to decorate any space in style, we wondered what color cover of Interiors: The Greatest Rooms of the Century Sasha will be choosing.
"I will be placing a saffron yellow or merlot copy of the book on one of our coffee tables."