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Victoria Hagan Builds Her Dream Dining Room Around a Cecily Brown Painting

The artist’s vibrant canvas is the perfect conversation piece in a space imagined for hosting intimate parties

By Jacqueline Terrebonne
Collage of colorful abstract painting, glass bottles, wire lamp, chair, sideboard, plate, table, and striped rug on green background.
Victoria Hagan designed a room around a Cecily Brown painting. The background is Clover Green by Benjamin Moore. Photo: Courtesy Joshua White Pictures, Alison Berger Glassworks, Galerie Dutko, Victoria Hagan, Art and Tradition, Ralph Pucci, the Shade Store, Neiman Marcus, Bernd Goeckler, Inc.

Victoria Hagan’s crisply refined interiors may be her calling card, but it’s her gift for balancing comfort and elegance that keeps
her impressive cadre of clients coming back for more. The timeless spaces she conjures are also known to bring out the best in blue-chip art collections.

“Creating a dining room to host a fantastic dinner party is my personal fantasy,” says Hagan. “Cecily Brown’s work draws you in, and you never see the same thing twice. I’m always blown away by the emotion I feel when I see her pieces. They’re so layered and mysterious, and the scale is really moving.”

Person standing confidently in a stylish blue outfit, leaning against a patterned armchair in a well-decorated room.
Victoria Hagan. Photo: William Waldron
Colorful abstract painting with dynamic brushstrokes and vivid contrasts, evoking an energetic and chaotic atmosphere.
Photo: Christie’s Images Ltd. 2020

Carnival and Lent (2006–08) by Cecily Brown, auctioned at Christie’s in July. 

Iron hanging cage birdcage-style medieval decoration with spherical and cylindrical elements against white background
Photo: Courtesy Galerie Dutko

Lantern by Philippe Anthonioz from Galerie Dutko. 

“Philippe Anthonioz’s light fixtures add a sculptural quality to the space.”

Beige upholstered chair with floral pattern and dark wooden legs viewed from the back.
Photo: Courtesy Victoria Hagan and Art and Tradition

Philips side chair by Victoria Hagan with custom leather work by Art and Tradition. 

“I added my Phillips dining chair with a hand-pressed French leather and soft velvet on the other side. When I first created it, the mission was to have a chair [so great] that no one wanted to leave the dinner table. The best dinner parties are the ones that never end.”

Rectangular modern table with a sleek white top and unique geometric gold and black legs.
Photo: Courtesy Ralph Pucci

Table by Hervé Van der Straeten from Ralph Pucci. 

“It’s hard for a dining room table to take your breath away, yet this one does with its perfectly balanced simplicity. The combination of the materials—the soft lacquer juxtaposed with the bronze base—is sculptural.”

Striped fabric pattern with horizontal navy and white lines.
Photo: Courtesy the Shade Store

Tidal Line window covering by Victoria Hagan for the Shade Store. 

“This fabric from my line for the Shade Store has a soft, golden line that gets picked up by candlelight. Softness is important to me for balancing the materials.”

Decorative plate with leaf motifs, featuring a blue butterfly and a dragonfly, surrounded by a gold-trimmed edge.
Photo: Courtesy Neiman Marcus

Ivy Garden dinner plate by Anna Weatherley from Neiman Marcus.  

“I love mixing vintage dessert plates and china. It’s the simple with the unusual.”

Wooden sideboard with five light-colored drawers featuring circular handles, showcasing a modern and minimalist design.
Photo: Courtesy Bernd Goeckler, Inc.

Sideboard by Osvaldo Borsani from Bernd Goeckler, Inc.

“This piece is one of a kind. I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

Five clear glass vases with varying shapes and sizes arranged on a white background.
Photo: Joshua White Pictures, Courtesy Alison Berger Glassworks

Water bottles by Alison Berger Glassworks. 

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2020 Fall issue in the section The Artful Home: Center Piece. Subscribe to the magazine.