The designer heads up his international multi-disciplinary agency, MARKZEFF, known for its innovative ability to fuse interior and environmental design in everything, from high-end residential properties (clients have included Hillary Swank and Annie Leibovitz), to luxury yachts.<\/p>\n
Haute Residence: What\u2019s trending in high-end city design?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mark Zeff: New materials in the home. For example, using bronze instead of silver or nickel, or using painted brick in kitchen areas instead of painted Sheetrock or tile, which provides a softer look. Also, kitchens are becoming larger and more eclectic in terms of style. Currently, there is a trend of mixing a modern vernacular with classic designs.<\/p>\n HR: Is there an Uptown versus Downtown style?<\/strong><\/p>\n MZ: The variation stems from a difference in building style, as Downtown lofts are able to accommodate larger art and therefore, lead to more forward design. Downtown has a cool, zany, chic, and modern vibe, which results in more eclectic and curated interiors. Uptown, the requests for interiors skew very glamorous and rather old-fashioned in terms of look and feel. The apartment buildings often dictate this aesthetic.<\/p>\n HR: How has your interior design has evolved?<\/strong><\/p>\n MZ: In the last five years, drastically. My work has grown in terms of scale and responsibility, giving the firm more involvement from the start of a project. The hospitality sector of our business has become a major part of our workload, too.<\/p>\n HR: What is your favorite room to design?<\/strong><\/p>\n MZ: Kitchens, pool cabanas, off-the-charts, technology-driven media rooms and outdoor living spaces, where I get to create environments that have a real \u201cwow\u201d factor by integrating landscaping and outdoor lighting with the design of the room.<\/p>\n HR: What are design rules you like to break? <\/strong><\/p>\n MZ: I have been breaking design rules for over 30 years. In the \u201980s, I used rusted iron for furniture and concrete floors in interiors; in the \u201990s and early 2000s by designing dark, sexy rooms; and now building Blackbarn structures in the Hamptons.<\/p>\n HR: What distinguishes your interior design?<\/strong><\/p>\n MZ: I take chances on all fronts: in my choice of materials, furniture concepts, and the proprietary designs for almost every aspect of the project. Inventing new ideas is how I enjoy this profession.<\/p>\n Portrait by Kristen Zeff The designer heads up his international multi-disciplinary agency, MARKZEFF, known for its innovative ability to fuse interior and environmental design in everything, from high-end residential properties, to luxury yachts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":3712219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1757],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3712216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hdn"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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