Whoever thought a pom pom tablecloth and an elephant console table could be so elegant? Well leave it to Lisa Mende of Lisa Mende Design to pull it off (with ease)! We caught up with her to chat about her most recent project- the Southampton Designer Showhouse in Southampton, New York.
When you decided to take on this showhouse project what was your original vision?
I not only design for private clients, I often am asked to design for brands which is what I did in this project. I was asked by Woodard Furniture to design an outdoor space using their furniture for the Southampton Designer Showhouse. It was a fun project.
Lisa Mende
The chandelier and lamps are very unique- where did you find them?
My absoulte favorite lighting designer is Louise Gaskill, in Raleigh. Louise searches the country for vintage murano glass and alabaster then designs beautiful chandeliers and lamps with her own hand gilt components. For the chandelier, Louise hand gilded real seashells and created a custom piece with a huge murano glass ball in the center. It was the talk of the show. She is simply amazing.
Lisa Mende
Is it more challenging designing an outdoor eating/entertaining space?
Yes! Very challenging. First of all, because this was a porch in the Hampton’s the wind was an issue. My workroom weighted the drapery at the hems with chains but it wasn’t enough. We ended up having to weight them with a very heavy gauge chain link sewn into the hem by me on site at the install. I used Perennials outdoor fabrics for the ottomans, drapery and pillows- Schumacher Citrus Garden was my accent fabric & Happy Plaid as my main.
What sort of things did you have to consider in this space? Waterproof fabrics, rug, etc.
For the run of the show, I had to use Museum paste and cement the dishes down as well as any breakables on the porch. The dishes I had on the table were Versace so I didn’t want to take any chances.
Lisa Mende
The elephant console and palm mirror are Gampel Stoll. Also, I had fresh flowers for my photo shoot and gala night event but for the run of the house I replaced those with artificial flowers from NDI which worked beautiful for the six weeks run of the tour.
Lisa Mende
After trying three different tablecloths ~ one of which was a beautiful french cloth, I decided to use the two throws I had taken to drape on the end chairs. I loved how the pom poms added a bit of whimsy to the design.
Lisa Mende
I love that neutral painting above the fireplace- who is the artist? It is a plaster piece designed by interior designer Bunny Williams and was created for a Dominican Republic house which has been published in the book called Bunny Williams At Sea. The plaster piece is a garden panel and is available through Bunny Williams Home.
I was honored to be asked to design in this showhouse which is one of the most prestigious showhouses in the country. I particularly enjoy doing “Showhouses [because they] are the purest form of my designs as I have no restrictions.”
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