Marshall Watson, who resides in East Hampton, is known for his sophisticated interiors and European-inspired aesthetic. He masterfully combines precision, harmony, and history with understated luxury, creating timeless, livable spaces. His deep understanding of historical periods and styles informs meticulously researched designs that always make architectural sense.
Marshall’s interiors are celebrated for their elegant proportions and grounded symmetry, resulting in a harmonious flow. He focuses on subtle repetitions of color, pattern, and material. His proportions reflect architectural principles derived from Greek and Roman proportions that incorporate the golden ratio.
I was introduced to Marshall Watson by the East Hampton Historical Society during the 2024 East Hampton House & Garden Tour, and then again at this summer’s Summer Design Luncheon, where Marshall discussed his latest Rizzoli book, “Defining Elegance.”
Where was your childhood home?
Prairie Village Kansas (Kansas City)
Is your inspiration from early memories?
I was inspired by my uncle, who was a landscape painter. I was inspired by my grandmother, who took me painting frequently. My grandfather took me to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art all the time; it was kind of like our playground, playing among Rodin sculptures. I loved the Kansas City Art Institute and knew many of our parents’ artist friends who worked for Hallmark Cards, had wonderful art teachers, music teachers, drama teachers… My mother loved decorating, and we grew up in a beautiful house with many antiques and beautiful things that had been handed down from generation to generation. I redid my own bedroom in high school with an acid rock theme and hallucinogenic posters. Slightly different from what I do now. In the summers, we traveled to Michigan, where we stayed in old clapboard cottages filled with wicker and old stuff that had the scents of use and nostalgia.
When did you buy your East Hampton home?
We bought our first 650-sq-ft house on Richardson Avenue in Springs, and I decorated up a storm, influenced by my love of Swedish 18th-century design, unexpected but really pretty… published in 11 magazines, and then we accidentally sold it (another story). Paul found our Springs property on Gardiner’s Bay. I designed and built the house after researching Greek Revival ship captains’ houses in Sag Harbor and the Federalist details of homes in New England and several Southern plantations.
What is your favorite place to dine on the East End?
My favorite place in East Hampton to dine is out on our bluff, anytime late spring or early fall. Especially when the moon rises. But if I have a place that I really love, often, it is 1770 House outside under the crepe myrtles (and in the wintertime, I love the meatloaf down in the speakeasy basement). If I’m going for the best prepared seafood on the eastern end of Long Island, then I go to Bostwick’s on the Bay and taste Damian’s fabulous, creative cuisine… American, French, and Pan Asian!
Tell us about the journey.
My journey to design was circuitous. I was a painter, artist, sculptor, then I chose the world of set design. I was a scenic painter, and then I spent about a decade pursuing my acting career on and off Broadway and on the soap opera, “As the World Turns.” Set design taught me a love of research, acting, and taught me to observe, to listen carefully, to interpret. Painting taught me the love of a visceral moment. And my training at Stanford in engineering, art, and English, gave me the appreciation of the world around me and developed my curiosity. My journey to interior design was a combination of all these factors, and just made sense. I love people, I love working with people, I love realizing their dreams and their aspirations, and I love taking care of people and making them happy.
How do these spaces reflect your design philosophy?
The spaces that I create have a common denominator: elegance. My second book, “Defining Elegance,” speaks to my design philosophy: light, peace, balance, comfort, proportion, romance, and harmony. I create spaces that are functional as well as comfortable, integrated into the architecture and environment, appropriate in every way. They answer my clients’ dreams and aspirations, detailed, complex but seemingly effortless, subtle, not showy, the backgrounds to my clients’ lives, not the star of their show. I believe that all clients have taste, and it is our job to realize, recognize, and develop their sense of taste. With all the design arrows in my design quiver.
Do you live in East Hampton year round?
Yes, I live in East Hampton year-round, every weekend in the winter, and the shoulder seasons are as beloved by me as our exquisite summers.
What is your favorite destination and inspiration?
In New York, the new Frick, the Metropolitan Museum, the Met Opera, Lincoln Center, symphonic music, and Broadway — I’m a culture geek. France, England, and Scandinavia are my inspirations for design, gardening, and food.
Can you share a memorable collaboration with an architect that significantly impacted your design process?
Yes, I collaborated with architect Stephen Morgan on a home in Cabo that we built with extraordinary sensitivity to classic Spanish/Italian influences, Mexican sense of romance, and Mayan inspiration… The house and our interiors landed on the cover of Architectural Digest! Stephen is the most collaborative of artists and architects, a problem solver, and he lives on Shelter Island.
How does your in-depth knowledge of different periods and styles influence your approach to designing interiors?
I have always been well-versed in the periods of interiors, architecture, and furnishings. I have always loved research and poring over books and periodicals to gain inspiration. I pick up inspiration everywhere I travel in Europe and South America and all over the United States. I think I’m just Mr. Curious. And I can see beauty in a number of cases. The reverse, though, is also true. It pains me to see thoughtless architecture, impersonal interiors, and badly proportioned furniture.
Your interiors are known for their calmness and lightness — what specific techniques do you employ to achieve this sense of harmony?
I believe in preserving good architecture, whether it be traditional or modern, as long as it is well-observed, well-executed, and well-thought-out. I have used historic architectural elements such as iron cornices from bank buildings, elaborate carved doors from the late 19th century, and even terra cotta carvings from the façade of buildings, carefully integrated into my interiors. It gives a sense of permanence, history, and, of course, it’s the best kind of recycling!
My interiors are known for their calm and their lightness. I believe in bringing the light into my interiors as much as possible and in any way that I can. I use a mirror in an unintrusive way to increase the size of the space. I use high gloss paint on ceilings and moldings to bounce the light off and give an uplifted feeling. I keep the color pallets rather unified rather than shocking. My interiors are not eclectic. The proportions are pleasing to the eye, and there is always a sense of balance and harmony. All of this contributes to a sense of calm and lightness.
In your second book, you showcase work from various environments. How do your design principles adapt to different climates and geographies?
We have worked all over the country and we’ve worked all over the world. We think it’s much more fun to integrate ourselves into the environment and culture in which our clients have chosen to live. We want Mexico to look like a fantasy of Mexico. We want Sweden to look like a fantasy of Sweden. We want New York to look like a fantasy of New York. We don’t want Sweden to look like New York. We research and we research. We absorb and we try to get the essence of the location of the property, and the environment of the country.
Could you describe how you translate a homeowner’s lifestyle and the history of a house into a distinctive design?
It’s easy to translate a homeowner’s lifestyle into a distinctive design. That’s our job, and it’s even more fun when the locale and the history of the building are interesting, because we take all that into consideration. We develop something truly unique for our clients and their aspirations. We have a lot of design tools in our design toolbox, through years of experience.
How do you incorporate subtle repetitions in color, pattern, or material to create a cohesive and harmonious interior?
We call them design cues. For instance, in my own apartment, you will see the repetition of iron. Subtly laid out, you will see a repetition of brass, you will see a repetition of the same wood colors, and you will see a repetition of blue and white, beautiful mahogany wood tones of the 18th-century furniture. All these cues meld the diverse elements and create a cohesive and harmonious interior.
What advice would you give to someone looking to develop their own sense of personal style in interior design?
Test yourself. If you’re interested in interior design, and you want to develop your personal style, simply pick up a number of magazines, buy my book, visit the period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum, at the Brooklyn Museum, observe your own fashion sense, and the colors you wear. What texture do you like? What period are you drawn to? And what art do you love? Keep your eyes and senses open to everything around you. Go to Europe and visit the great houses. Experience openly. Be endlessly curious and not judgmental. Yet be discerning, analytical as to why something appeals to you and why something doesn’t appeal to you. And sometimes you have to take a leap and make choices. Then you will find your style.