Alex Papachristidis. Photo: donna newman
When it comes to collecting, designer Alex Papachristidis is an unstoppable force, and his passion for finding the best of the best is infectious. He scours auctions for precious finds and knows all the best antiques dealers. The treasures he finds are key to creating his signature, layered mix that fills each of the projects he conceives. This deliberate and dedicated approach has resulted in memorable homes for both his clients and himself. In his spaces, blue-chip artworks mingle with commissioned pieces by today’s top artisans, antique furniture with important provenances has a conversation with boldly patterned textiles. It’s a heady mix that has filled two stunning volumes—The Elegant Life: Rooms that Welcome and Inspire and The Age of Elegance, both from Rizzoli—and made his tableware outpost Everyday Elegance, a cornucopia of inspired finds.
Here, the celebrated tastemaker offers his techniques for discovering special pieces certain to make any room sing and how to inspire new collectors to create their own distinct cache of beautiful things.
Works by Richard Prince (above the mantel) and Rudolf Stingel (to the right of the mantel) and George Condo (above the sofa) are displayed in the living room. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Papachristidis
“It’s great to buy beautiful clothes, handbags, and jewelry, but you don’t see those things all the time, all at once. The thing about a collected home is that every time you walk in, you’re hit by the beauty and joy of it.”
A custom Alex Papachristidis sofa dressed in a Claremont Furnishing fabric faces, from left, a Philippe Hiquily chair, a pair of armchairs from Carlton Hobbs, and accustomed LouisXVI–style chair by Alex Papachristidis. Photo: Simon Watson
A Louis Cane tree sculpture from Galerie Yves Gastou and a Nancy Lorenz box stand on the Ingrid Donat polished bronze coffee table from Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Photo: Simon Watson
“I really like to get to know my clients, understand who they are and what they’re interested in, and then create a collection around that. I have clients who love antiquities and neoclassical pieces; others want contemporary art.”
Mirrored pilasters painted by Delphine Nény add dimension to the dining room. Cowtan & Tout fabrics were used for the walls and curtains, and the table is vintage Jansen from Christie’s Paris. The Italian ormolu and cut-crystal chandelier are from Christie’s. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Papachristidis
“I always take my clients to the best stores and show them the best things. It doesn’t mean they have to buy them, but it trains the eye to look at high quality.”
“When it comes to auctions, sometimes you get wonderful bargains and sometimes you overpay. Other times I’ll bid on something, and I won’t get it. That’s the way it is, but I’ll see something in that collection that will inspire me to create and build another collection.”
In the living room, an Anish Kapoor sculpture hovers above a custom chimney piece. The pendants are by Hervé Vander Straeten, and the curtains are of a Fabricutvoile. The walnut and mirror coffee table is from Lamberty. The custom sofas were designed by Alex Papachristidis and the Ginkgo chair is by Claude Lalanne. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Papachristidis
A Nancy Lorenz painting shimmers behind eighteenth-century French armchairs and a games table from Gerald Bland. The candelabra is from R. Louis Bofferding; the Claude Lalanne Pomme Bouche is from Galerie Chastel Maréchal. Photo: Courtesy of Alex Papachristidis
“Great collectors make for great inspiration. That’s why a collector auction is so interesting—it’s an entrée into somebody’s wonderful sensibility. You get to see it all together and how it connects. Ann Getty had Rudolf Nureyev’s sofa that was done by Renzo Mongiardino’s disciple Emilio Carcano. Jayne Wrightsman worked with Henri Samuel. Of course I bought tons from the Mario Buatta sale. I love knowing that a legendary decorator used it. Even if you don’t walk away with something, you can be inspired and learn.”
“I constantly move objects around, and I completely re-accessorize at least every six months. I clear the decks and change out the objects. It helps you to look at things in a new way and notice things in your collection that you may become blasé about if it just sits in the same spot for decades.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Late Fall Issue under the headline “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.
