How to hang at home

Melissa Ceria

“The overdecorated environment of the 1990s—heavy draping and ornate moldings—is not what people want these days,” says interior designer Steven Volpe, sitting in his airy Jackson Square office. “It’s about doing things with a lighter hand.” Volpe manages his own design company as well as the two-year-old Hedge Gallery, an ultra-refined boutique specializing in leading 20th-century French, Danish, and Italian furniture designers, which he operates with business partner Roth Martin. Volpe’s current projects include a 15,000-square-foot house on the Peninsula that requires him to travel to New York, Paris, and London in search of contemporary art and 18th- and 20th-century furniture. “It’s a combination of old and new, which I’m moving toward because complete modernism is not a comfortable way to live.”

What’s influencing your style now?
Art. I used to treat it in a more decorative way; now I’m using it for what it is. I like environments that have beautiful art with interiors that recede a bit more.

Can art fit anywhere in a home?
I wouldn’t put a major piece in a kitchen and I don’t think contemplative work should go in a dining room. You should focus on your guests and your guests should focus on one another. I like placing art in a living room, study, or gallery.

A gallery, how Versailles. Give us Collecting 101.
Obviously, if you’re buying a Picasso or Rothko, they’re going to hold their value. It’s really important to collect vintage pieces because they’re unique and stay valuable. If you collect photography and know which artists you like, buying at auction is a good idea. If you’re just starting off, go through a gallery so that they can guide you.

What furniture are you seduced by?
Simple design that’s a reduction of something elegant, that’s got integrity and craftsmanship. I’m thinking of French 20th-century furniture designers like André Arbus’s [1903–1969] chairs and floor lamps, and anything by the design firm Maison Jansen [1880–1989].

What’s the most tired trend today?
Globalization, where you see uniformity everywhere. Mass-produced, generic furniture that doesn’t have a soul.

Can we expect a backlash?
I think so. People are starting to notice unique things. And I think companies that mass-produce are going to offer a certain amount of customization so that you can make it your own.

What’s the most expensive piece you’ve bought?
Probably an 18th-century canapé and chair set by Pluvinet that I got in Paris for a client.

I bet Paris antique dealers are delighted to see you.
They probably are.