How to Create a Warm, Modern Space-UseOfSmartHome

What do couturier Oscar de la Renta, chef Andrew Carmellini, and hotel giant the Four Seasons have in common? All have commissioned New York–based design firm Meyer Davis to conceive bespoke interiors for their boutiques, restaurants, and properties. Since joining forces in 1999, Will Meyer and Gray Davis have made a name for themselves by creating inviting interiors that feel at once structured and relaxed, making use of an array of materials while maintaining a clean, modern feel. In the Copake, New York, lake house the firm created for Davis and his family, for example, raw wood walls and jute-wrapped pipes are offset by streamlined modern furniture. At the Bowery Meat Company in Manhattan, Meyer and Davis temper the industrial look that's all too ubiquitous in the city's eateries with plush velvet banquettes and rich walnut-paneled walls. These projects and more are on full display in the firm's new book, Made to Measure (The Vendome Press, $60), which neatly summarizes the warm, tailored, and always personal interiors that have earned their firm its devoted following. On the occasion of its launch, AD caught up with Meyer and Davis to hear more about their process, aesthetic, and inspiration.

The bar at the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami.

Architectural Digest: You use so many natural elements, yet your spaces always look polished. How do you achieve that balance?

Will Meyer: Gray and I always like to celebrate the beauty and natural characteristics of the materials that we use. We have found that having a clean, more structured counterpoint to those materials allows one to appreciate and honor the qualities of the natural material more.

AD: How do your aesthetic goals change when decorating private and public spaces?

Gray Davis: Our aesthetic goals don’t differ between public and private spaces; that's what we like about our work. By not drawing a distinction between the two, we are able to focus on creating meaningful spaces that can to be enjoyed whether as a home or hotel.

The Wayfarer in New York.

AD: What are your favorite materials to work with?

WM: We really look for more of an assembly of materials that correlate and build off one another instead of selecting them individually. There are a few materials, such as wood, that we often gravitate to for our projects; however, in the end it’s really about creating a beautiful, clean palette where the materials speak to one another.

AD: How do you tie your design into the vernacular of a particular area?

GD: We tend to begin every project with a narrative that’s based off a core idea. Our work carries allusions that weave unique qualities of the space and take measure of subtle references and details in order to tell a story within the space.