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Who

Longtime interior designer David Easton made his reputation with neo-classical residences in the 1970s and '80s, but he's since branched out into more modern looks, as well as into furniture and fabric design.

Backstory

Easton attended Pratt in the 1960s and spent time living in Europe after graduation, before returning to the States and working under design greats Edward Wormley, Albert Hadley, Sister Parish, and Valerian Rybar. In 1972, Easton opened a firm of his own. He's since designed countless apartments and mansions for a long list of notable clients, both by himself and in partnership with several other designers, including Michael La Rocca, Eric Smith and, most recently, Charlotte Moss. Easton's popularity probably peaked in the 1980s, but his firm—which has more than 60 employees on the payroll—remains as active as ever, servicing an aging clientele.

Of note

Although Easton is comfortable with many styles, he's best known for his Neo-Classicist homes, including the Albemarle House in central Virginia, owned by socialite and philanthropist Patricia Kluge, the ex-wife of John Kluge. Other clients include hedge fund guru Julian Robertson and his wife, Josie; Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone; and Texas oil billionaire Sid Bass and his wife, Mercedes Bass. More recently, Easton has applied his designs to furniture, fabrics, lighting, wall coverings, carpets, and outdoor furniture, collaborating with Lee Jofa, Robert Abbey, Cole and Son, and Walter's Wicker.

In person

Easton's office is located on Spring and Lafayette. If you want a few design tips, you'll find him most mornings picking up an espresso and an almond croissant at Balthazar.

Personal

He and his partner, sculptor James Steinmeyer, live in a loft in the Flatiron district. They recently sold their country estate, Balderbrae, in Suffern, New York, which they built in 1980. The contents of the home were sold at auction in 2007 at Doyle New York—the couple unloaded more than 600 lots of pricey antique furniture they'd collected over the years. Easton and Steinmeyer are currently building a 3,500-square-foot modular house in Charlottesville, Va.