“You shouldn’t try to include everything you ever liked in one house or apartment,” says designer Mariette Himes Gomez, a self-described minimalist. “The point of view gets confusing and often creates uncomfortable intersections.” Gomez, who grew up in Alpena, Michigan, knew at the age of 14 that she wanted to be an interior designer. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design and, later, the New York School of Interior Design and worked at Parish-Hadley and Edward Durell Stone before founding her own firm in 1975. Based in Manhattan, Gomez Associates currently employs a staff of 20.

Eight years ago Gomez opened The Shop, a retail store near her office that features her own line of furniture. She recently completed 28 new designs to add to the 140 pieces her firm has developed with Hickory Chair over the last few years. Her designs remain more client-driven than style-driven, exemplifying her belief that a residence should foremost be a reflection of its inhabitants. “One’s home is the refuge from exterior influences, a place for friends, family and memories,” says the designer, who is known for her simple elegance and subtle use of color. “I believe the following is essential to good design,” Gomez asserts, “an aesthetic and visual balance, a strong point of view, contiguous design sensibility from room to room, a little surprise and, always, quality choices in furniture.”

Mariette Himes Gomez

212-288-6856

www.gomezassociateom