• Home
  • About White Webb
  • Portfolio
    • Private Residences
    • Public Spaces
    • Current Projects
  • Books
    • Italy of My Dreams
    • Books by Others
  • Shop
  • Press
    • Periodicals
    • Online
    • Television & Radio
    • Lectures
    • Press Releases
  • Blog
  • Contact

White Webb

My “Entrance” into the World of Design

Design Log

18 Jun

When I was around eleven, my parents bought an old farmhouse on five acres, directly behind the trailer park where I was born. It was my dream come true—a house without wheels! We planted a large orchard and an enormous vegetable garden, and we also started to raise chickens and goats. With our own homegrown veggies and fruit, fresh milk and eggs, we were way ahead of our time in being nearly self-sustaining.

matthew-white-designAs a teenager there was no question in my mind that I would someday become an interior designer. With my dog-eared copy of Billy Baldwin Decorates, I felt I could take on the world. And as my mother proudly pointed out, I was “good with my hands”. Able to draw, paint, sew and make things, I was never happier than when I was doing exactly that.

As I went into high school, I found a job delivering furniture for Hughes Home Beautiful, the best furniture store in town. Surrounded by fine furniture and oil paintings and mixing with people who loved design as I did, I was finally in my element. Within a few months I was doing the windows and store vignettes. I learned a LOT.

Around this time my parents wanted to add an entrance hall to the house, so Dad asked me to design it. Design a room from the ground up? In a heartbeat!! In no time, I drew up a sort of neo-classical addition with a mansard roof and a colonial door surround flanked by brass lanterns. Inside I designed a tray ceiling that reflected the exterior shape.

For the decoration I chose a large-scale green and white lattice wallpaper, making the room feel like a garden pavilion. From the ceiling hung a simple brass and glass lantern. The curtains on the one tall window were made of a highly-polished cotton chintz with bright yellow birds in a verdant bamboo grove. Rather than a console table, my mother wanted a desk so this room could double as her office. I chose a white lacquer desk with faux bamboo details and a white, tooled leather top.

To me this foyer was the height of elegance. What it was doing stuck onto a Texas farmhouse is another question entirely. But I must admit, I still love this room. In designing it, I took to heart everything I learned from seeing designers like Billy Baldwin or Albert Hadley in the pages of glossy magazines. I longed to create timeless spaces that were livable and elegant, and this project was my first serious effort.

4-1b
When rummaging through my attic recently, I found my tiny designs for the room, dated 1976, a few months before I graduated from high school. I also found the before and after shots of the exterior that I took on my KodakInstamatic camera.

The moral of the story? Well, it’s a mixed bag. Being reminded of one’s dreams and not being totally mortified by the result is a very good thing. On the other hand—how did I get to be so old?!

Previous Post: « Country Pursuits
Next Post: White Webb’s Intaglio Launches at Tom Swope Gallery »
Mesmerizing painting by @kehindewiley, Ship of Foo Mesmerizing painting by @kehindewiley, Ship of Fools, 2017
Excited to see the adorable flower shop we designe Excited to see the adorable flower shop we designed for @tinyheartsfarm in a new book by @dkprinzing from @bloom.imprint.  Hillsdale is blossoming!  Come for the flowers and be sure to stop by @hillsdalegeneralstore , @hgshomechef and White Webb Finds.  Photos by @artgrayphoto .
Dramatic reading? In this living room corner, pat Dramatic reading?  In this living room corner, patterns, textures and colors combine to create a luxurious nook for cozying up with a good book.  The Gobbi chair by @jiunhoinc looks dapper in Fino by @sahco_official, but the star of the show is the 1980s Italian brass and resin lamp from @cosulichinteriors. Sitting atop an octagonal table of our design (brought to life by the masters @roman_raygoza_fine_furnishings), it literally glows.  Photo by @artgrayphoto .
We’re so thrilled to see one of our favorite cli We’re so thrilled to see one of our favorite client’s homes on the cover of The Spanish Style House. Head on over to our story to see additional imagery shared from the talented architect @sinclairassociates. If you’re hungry for more, check out the full project on our website under “California Hacienda”. The book is available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Sexy, sinuous and silver! For a truly seductive p Sexy, sinuous and silver!  For a truly seductive penthouse in LA, we designed this stunning bar in collaboration with @paulmathieudesign .  Its undulating curves of hammered silver glimmer enticingly, making it the ultimate thirst trap.  Pun intended. #homebar #bardesign #silver #thirsty
Pattern play in a corner of a room we designed for Pattern play in a corner of a room we designed for @holidayhousedesigns several years ago.
Green and clean. A natural palette and enormous w Green and clean.  A natural palette and enormous windows create a bridge between indoors and out.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Photo by @artgrayphoto #vladimirkagan #robsjohngibbings

Copyright © 2021 White Webb · About · Contact