15 SOUTHERN HOME | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
there have been a lot of influences, but perhaps the biggest have
been fashion designers who also had great personal style, like
Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, and Hubert de Givenchy. These
gentlemen not only had their hands in fashion, but also had
amazing houses and gardens.SH: What’s a recent thing you’ve found beautiful?
MDS: Beauty presents itself every day. A few days ago, we put a
bunch of boxwood balls in these great-looking white planters in
front of our office. It’s not much, really—a lot of people might walk
by and not even notice—but they give me a good feeling when I
come into work. I believe beauty is in the simplicity of everyday
experiences. You have to allow yourself to take it in.SH: In the forward to your book Beautiful: All-American
Decorating and Timeless Style, your friend and client, film
director Nancy Meyers, writes “blue and white is the hashtag of
Mark’s life.” Would you agree with that statement?
MDS: I don’t want to pigeonhole myself because I do embrace
other palettes, but if people want to say I’m all about blue and
white, I’ll take it. I’ve never, ever heard a client say they don’t like
blue. There are so many feelings it can evoke, and it works
whether you want to go formal or casual. I love the whole range
from robin’s egg and turquoise to navy and cobalt.SH: We’re curious to know some of your favorite blue paint colors.
MDS: Off the top of my head, Borrowed Light and Skylight from
Farrow & Ball; Blue Diamond, China Blue, and Bird’s Egg from
Benjamin Moore.SH: Let’s move on to stripes. We see you use lots of them in rugs
and fabrics—many of your own design—and you’ve even created
a women’s sportswear collection called MDS Stripes. How did
they become such a go-to for you?
MDS: Again, I’ve always been drawn to them—I think when I was
young my mom often had me in blue-and-white pinstripes or
French sailor shirts. Stripes are classic and timeless. They work
as well in a wardrobe as they do in a room, where they layer with
other patterns and add geometric form. I like to use them in
different scales, and I’ll run them vertically when you expect to
see them horizontally or vice versa.SH: What are other decorative elements you can’t live without?
MDS: Anything customized, like pieces made completely original
with decorative painting or stenciling. When it comes to the tried-
and-true, I gravitate toward Anglo-Indian inlaid furniture, small
chairs of any kind, chinoiserie wallpaper, batiks, natural fibers
such as rattan and wicker, and I’m really into chintz right now.SH: That sounds like a wide stylistic range in your arsenal.
MDS: Absolutely. The mix makes things interesting. I’ll layer a