In this special Q&A, acclaimed interior designer John Douglas Eason shares his thoughtful approach to creating spaces that feel both deeply personal and timeless. From designing sophisticated Manhattan interiors to modern South Beach retreats, Eason discusses the importance of texture, detail, and understanding the unique culture of a home’s location. In the conversation below, he reflects on the lasting relationships that shape his work, the emotional impact of great design, and why creating meaningful spaces for clients remains at the heart of everything he does.
What is your favorite room to design and why?
I am torn between the two opposite but most important rooms in a home; the living room and bedroom. On the one hand, the living room is where most time is spent and it is typically the space for entertaining, so clients are happy to invest in interesting and special furnishings for it. On the other hand, the bedroom is a sanctuary and intensely personal; it is the room that clients most connect with and want to be happy in. Both offer me the opportunity to really understand the client personally and help them make their home special.
Where do you draw inspiration from and how/where do you infuse it into your designs?
A great and important source of inspiration that I find many neglect to truly acknowledge is the culture of the location the home is in. If it’s Miami, you take into account the sun and heat and happy nature of the place. If it’s a mountain town like Jackson the rustic wilderness and nature somehow always factor in, if even only subtly. If it’s our great New York City, it’s the sophisticated, cosmopolitan culture and the opportunity to do anything and do it well.
What is the most meaningful aspect of being an interior designer?
A note that I recently received from a client we’ve worked with for several decades sums it up best. Reminiscing of her recent college graduate son who was moving on to great things, she said “He has been blessed to have special spaces in every one of our homes that you created for him”. That is incredibly meaningful to me that I was able to create a setting for a family to live and enjoy their lives.
What is next for design? What are your predictions for the future?
Design trends come and go, but the most consequential ones can be hard to see in advance. Right now we live in a time of plenty, saturated in opportunity and selection. The materials and styles available to us seem endless and magazines no longer command a broadly agreed style manual. I predict we will continue to embrace that, and working with decorators will be the best way to make sense of the overwhelming options and channel our needs and desires. Paradoxically, I think this will lead to a greater sense of commitment to our personal sense of style and clients will increasingly want to own and live with furnishings that will last and be special to them.
It’s all in the details. Can you share your process with us and how you especially emphasize those details to make a space come together?
This is an important question to me – I love detail. It is the details that make a space a home, and I know my clients appreciate that, whether it’s from a special beaded trim or a scenic mural personalized to show a location important to the client. These elements evolve organically from my relationships with clients as I learn about their lives and interests.
How do you use color, texture and pattern to bring a project to life?
Above all, I love texture, it adds subtle depth to a room to feature a high gloss surface or a combination of high and low textured fabrics of different weaves. Of course, textures are executed in colors, and I tend to lean on sophisticated, moody colors to build a sense of plush sumptuousness. A room comes together by blending nuanced colors, textures and variation of forms and finishes.
Tell us about one of your most extraordinary projects and what made it so special?
Working over many years with a client on different projects is a unique opportunity that changes us both.
I recently completed a fourth home for a client of 23 years. For their first three homes they wanted a traditional aesthetic, but after the contemporary vibe Jackson Hole they wanted their new South Beach to go full modern. It has been amazing to see how their tastes have evolved and they have become open to new ideas. I think it was only possible because of the deep trust we have cultivated over the years. They recognized how my work has contributed to their happiness and they know I am deeply committed to maintaining that. It’s extraordinary to me that we have had the opportunity to build this long lasting relationship based on mutual respect.
Do you find doing a renovation can be done more efficiently in the city?
I would actually say the opposite. Although the time limits imposed on renovations by buildings can help speed decision making along, the challenges of working in the city and keeping everything in check is much more as you are accountable to so many more people, from neighbors to management.
Do you have a favorite building in the city? And why?
I have to be classic and say the Empire State Building. Growing up in Fort Worth I’d watch “I Love Lucy” reruns and admire the Empire State Building and long to live in Manhattan. For the last fourteen years I’ve lived in midtown, and my evening dog walk affords me a postcard view of it that always impresses me. Now, in my professional opinion, the new LED lights on the tip are not at all becoming, but fortunately you can’t hurt the majesty of that iconic structure! I will never grow tired of rounding a corner to a great view of her, it always makes my heart sing!
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