R5 Kim Amann-Ransom

 

 

OUT-OF-COUNTY SOURCE FOR GOODS: I love to shop the Stamford antique district.

 

WHO INSPIRED YOU: I worked for Jay Murray in Philadelphia. He was president of ASID and designed and furnished many celebrities’ homes, including those of Bill Cosby and Jackie Gleason. He was fab!

 

FAVORITE FABRICS: I love to mix Nobilis, Cowtan & Tout, Maxwell…but my heart belongs to Fortuny!

 

FAVORITE WALLPAPER: Phillip Jeffries has such a sensational look. Thibaut wallpapers have a great look at a great price point. 

 

HOT TRENDS FOR 2013: Plums, fuchsia, amethyst, and purples; continuing to mix clean, streamlined furniture with some traditional pieces and heirlooms; using updated fashion colors in traditional homes. 

 

MOST UNUSUAL REQUEST: To design an all-glass, refrigerated wine room as the centerpiece of a 6,000-square-foot apartment in Houston. 

 

COOLEST DESIGN ELEMENT USED IN A CLIENT’S HOUSE: I custom-designed stained-glass panels and used them as a room divider between the kitchen and dining room.

 

THE NEW NEUTRAL: Gray. All shades of it: white/gray, taupe/gray, steel/gray, beige/gray.

 

PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT I HAVE: An antique hand-carved sofa that I found on the side of the highway in my home. I stripped it, whitewashed it, and glazed it myself, then reupholstered it in mohair. It’s one of my favorite pieces!