Modern Classic: Mary McDonald

Keep reading to learn about West Hollywood designer Mary McDonald, her reverence for formal design, and her affinity for the classics that will never go out of style.

Is there a classic—a staple—that is always a part of your design…sort of a signature?

I think it has to be a base of classicism generally layered with contemporary punches in either pattern, color or furnishings. I also am mad for lidded urns. What is it and what enables it to work in any environment? It requires an aesthetic sense of balance which is always pleasing to the eye and heck where doesn’t an urn look good.

What makes a particular design last…what ensures longevity?

I find that designs based in classics such as the Louis seize period or early classical Greek and Roman periods still prevail. Look at the Starck ghost chair in acrylic or the multiple versions of the klismos chair from Robsjohn Gibbings to current outdoor pieces from Dedon. How many years have they been going now since their inception?

What do you feel are lasting, timeless palettes that still feel fresh and up-to-the-minute?

All shades of grey greige and whites together. They have been working since Karl the twelfth. Also layers of chocolate brown anything. Always a classic from decades gone by and still today. I never tire of black and camel either. Never will.

What do you consider to be the most significant design innovation of the last 10 years?

Too many to count.

How has the onslaught of social media outlets and “design on the web” affected you personally?

Well I have had a few bloggers stalk me and try to find odd personal information I found shocking and yet flattered they would even bother to care. On another note I can actually use them as resources for an archival library when I cannot find a classic photo of a well-known design reference inevitably some blogger has posted it. I like the instant reference library aspect.

Do you see lasting change in design from this movement to new media?

Yes but I am not quite sure exactly what and where because it is growing so rapidly.

How have you observed a particular category, evolving over the past 20 years? Going from more conservative to more risk-taking; from hands-off to kick-back?

Traditional has definitely become more casual on the whole. I was around, albeit young, but around for Mario Buatta and we lost the formality which frankly I miss. There is less pomp and circumstance to it all.

Which comes first: lifestyle or design? Is it lifestyle that has generated the design changes, or is design the driving force that affects how we live?

I have to say lifestyle has driven the changes first. We have come from a less accessible world, social structure, financial status to a world of more for everyone. In that way design is addressing many more people and the needs of their fast paced lives more than the select elite.

How do you perceive design today: as catalyst for lifestyle change or as reaction to it, or both?

Both. There is so much visual information out there coming at you daily even I, being in design, find myself influenced.

Is the trend in green design a fad or is it here to stay?

The hype is a fad and a marketing tool yet the concern for the environment is real and will continue to grow.

Are clients requesting you to utilize eco-friendly or sustainable products in your design?

To an extent. They all want to know what is in the products we use, any toxic emissions involved and any other danger but when all is said and done they want what looks best. I think the mere fact that the earth and it’s resources are taxed to the hilt means that an interest in how to maintain the planet will remain out of self preservation. On the other hand I think “green” is an overused term manipulated daily.

Are there any design trends from the past twenty years that came and went, not a moment too soon for you?

Yes. The multiple hanging overhead fixtures of poor quality in a cluster when I never wanted to see one.