“My work is always developed with artwork in mind,” asserts Sandra Weingort.
The Colombian-born, Miami- and New York-based interior designer ensures her clients are collectors before determining whether a project is the right fit for her firm. She launched her eponymous studio in 2012 after working for nearly a decade at the influential Studio Sofield. In that time, she developed a knack for pairing paintings and sculpture with carefully curated furniture collections.
In 2020, the opportunity arose to do so on the highest level, when Weingort was approached to work on a sweeping 11,000-square-foot Wainscott residence constructed by Bates Masi + Architects. “The clients approached Bates Masi with a desire to build a home that would prominently display a significant art collection while maintaining views of the landscape and protecting the art from sunlight,” explains Weingort.
Despite her usual preference for signing onto projects prior to construction, the opportunity was too intriguing to pass up. “While this was a departure from my usual workflow, it presented a fascinating reversal of the typical order of things,” she says.
A team was assembled as pieces started to flow into the home, with Weingort scouting Le Corbusier lamps, Pierre Jeanneret chairs, and Isamu Noguchi tables. Art advisor Alex Glauber, principal of AWG Art Advisory and consultant to the family since 2017, slotted in works by Dan Flavin, Claes Oldenburg, Cecily Brown, Alex Katz, Ed Ruscha, Takashi Murakami, Lucy Dodd, and more.
“While I may not know which specific pieces will inhabit each room, the design is crafted to complement rather than overshadow the art,” Weingort explains. “This doesn’t mean the furniture collection is too subdued or neutral, as this can cause the art to dominate, which is also not ideal. Everything should converse in a coherent language, whether through contrast or similarity.”
In the Wainscott residence, it’s the oft-discussed Hamptons light that accentuates Weingort’s splashes of color and polished design indoors. Even when no one is around, the house has plenty to respond to.
