My favorite flower… It’s too hard to limit to one: hyacinths because they evoke spring and renewal, lilies-of-the-valley because they bloom around my May birthday, and daisies and irises because they remind me of gardens in the small town where I grew up—everyone had them.
Actress I dream of starring in my biopic… Diane Kruger, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cate Blanchett, or Grace Kelly.
Design book that continually inspires me… The House in Good Taste by Elsie de Wolfe (first published in 1914). Timeless.
Hotel I could move right into… The Carlyle in New York.
Floral designer I’d love to send me a weekly arrangement… Jeff Leatham of the Hotel George V in Paris.
Public gardens I’d spend a day in… Luxembourg, Tuileries, or Palais Royal in Paris—I’d be happy in any of them.
Music that gets my creative energy flowing… Classical in the mornings, and Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington later in the day. I also love Brazilian music and have a lot of Bebel Gilberto on my playlists.
Fashion designer whose clothes look like my rooms… Miuccia Prada—her definition of glamour is pretty much mine.
Cities that restore my soul… Paris, New York, and most certainly, Venice.
Person I’d love to design a house for… Diane Kruger or Gwyneth Paltrow because they both have great personal style.
By Karen Carroll