Today we present you the AD100 Interior Designer Michael S. Smith.
“Pure classical design traditions with unexpected elements.” That’s how Michael S. Smith describes his own style in the Architectural Digest, named this year for the sixth time “The AD100”.
Michael Smith is considered one of the most original and respected talents in the design industry today. With an international profile, Smith’s style is a blend of European classicism and American modernism—always fresh, always evolving, always underscored by the belief that everyone should live with things they love.
Reigning emperor of décor in Los Angeles, Michael S. Smith had his first big project in his twenties for Bruce Springsteen. He also redid the private quarters and Oval Office for President and Michelle Obama, and has celebrities like Harrison Ford, George Clooney and Peter and Megan Chernin in his clients list.
See also: Top Interior Decoration by Jenkins Interiors
Clients treasure his expert composition, refined color sense and skill at creating a (quiet) monied look that still has personality. “For me, it’s about a sense of balance, such as adding a strong Roman antique to a modern interior,” says the designer. Two years ago, he traded in his traditional Bel-Air house (he also owns a Manhattan duplex) for a modern manse in Holmby Hills.
Michael possesses a curator’s knowledge of and appreciation for the past, nurtured by studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum and extensive work in the antiques business. Whether in designing his own collection or in the interiors he creates for his clients, a deep respect for tradition—viewed through a modern eye—is ever-present.
Besides the multiple awards, Michael’s designs continue to be featured in major publications including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Town and Country, Domino, Metropolitan Home, Interior Design, Tatler, W and the Wall St. Journal. His work has been celebrated in three beautiful volumes from Rizzoli Publishing: Elements of Style (2007), Houses (2008) and Kitchens and Baths(2011), Building Beauty (2013), and his fifth book, The Curated House: Creating Style, Beauty, and Balance was released in Fall of 2015.
Get inspired by the AD 100 Michael S. Smith!
