For our third Long Lunch at The Park, the series in which we celebrate the joy of a long lunch, we are delighted to be joined by the US-based interior designer and writer, David Netto and his guest, creative consultant, Helen Rice.
Netto is renowned for his rare skill for designing memorable rooms, balancing art, architecture and vintage finds. He has worked as a contributing design editor to the Wall Street Journal, T, the New York Times Style Magazine and has written for numerous other interiors and lifestyle publications. He has authored monographs on the work of François Catroux and of Stephen Sills, as well as most recently his own. As a designer, he has projects on both east and west coasts, as well as this side of the Atlantic, and a roster of high-profile clients. Being a father is one of his most important roles.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN A LUNCH COMPANION?
Lunches can be very tender and special times with someone you care about. My mother used to take me to lunch every Friday afternoon when I was little and school got out early on that day, and I feel like I can remember every one of them. It’s a chance to make someone feel cared for; that you set up something beautifully you thought they would like; and I’m a sucker for anything a little old-fashioned having to do with good manners and so forth. What I value most in a companion is wit (come with some jokes), a capacity for surprises (tell me you’re broke, or that you’ve always been in love with so-and-so), and the mutual recognition that this hour together can be very special if we just have the imagination to make it that way–as my mother did every Friday in 1977.
WHAT DID YOU EAT/DRINK TODAY?
The Park is all about classic American food, so I had a GREAT Club sandwich with extra mayonnaise and tater tots. In England you get the treat of HP sauce, lovely with bacon. I stole one of Helen’s latkes, and I really, really wanted that steak and eggs, so I’ll be back for that. Hot tea to keep things cozy (I never drink during the day).
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE – RESTAURANT OR OTHER – THAT YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
Make things funny and people will WANT to listen to you (or do what you want them to do, be on your side, not want to dump you, etc.). You have to make it seem like their idea. Somebody once said to me when I was being grumpy and barky about something, “Before I react to any situation, I always ask myself ‘What would Gregory Peck do?’ Everything you just did was the complete opposite of what Gregory Peck would do.” I laughed, but I heard them. The lesson? In general, the smiling option gets a better result.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
At the moment I’m working on several peoples’ houses and wondering why I do this job—the middle of long projects is never easy. I’m getting the wonderful gem of a rug company I just bought, Woodard Weave, up to speed, and touring my latest book (on New York apartment house architect Rosario Candela). I’m about to start working on my first hotel, the Hedges Inn in East Hampton, which is THRILLING. We can have a long lunch there next summer…
www.davidnetto.com