Read What Wesley Moon Has to Say:
Seated in front of a spectacular mural in his New York City apartment, Wesley Moon is well positioned to discuss what playful touches can bring into a space. A lifelong designer with a detailed approach to interiors, Moon is passionate about adding that “extra something” for his clients.
“For me, it's all about adding layers, adding a little whimsy, and of course, that little element of surprise,” says Moon. “What I really love is when people have been sitting there a little while, and they start to notice the detail that didn't jump out at them at first. It's important to me to keep people on their toes. You want them to find those little things, and to really see how much love and care you put into the design of their home.”
Interior Design with a Personal Touch
From his dining room, Moon displays a custom de Gournay wallpaper mural. “We created it based on scenes of Sicily–my partner is Sicilian, so it's something that means a lot to us, says Moon. “We based this mural on photographs that we had from our travels.” He points to the church behind him in the mural as where his partners’ parents got married.” “It's definitely us. It's something that people come in, and their jaws drop.”
Moon believes that a moment of surprise is vital to design. “You’ve got to find that in every project. Even if someone wants a neutral palette or something more subtle, there's always a way to work in just a little bit of whimsy, a little bit of the element of surprise.”
That element of surprise can be an intimate detail, like something that strikes a chord with the client. “It makes a space more sophisticated, because it is more personalized, and actually speaks to something, it has something to say.”
Orchestrating Interesting Interiors
Moon’s joyous approach to design stems from a belief that “you want your clients to smile, and you want your guests to smile.”
“Everything in your interior has to have a dialogue,” says Moon. “It's okay to have visual disruptions. It's okay to mix your materials, your metals, your colors. But you just have to make sure that everything is speaking to each other. It's like a chorus, they all have to hum and sing together.”
This harmonic visual disruption is key to building interesting interiors. As an example, Moon showcases his onyx door casing, just one of many delightful surprises woven in his home.
“I decided I wanted pink onyx door casing,” admits Moon, referencing the thick molding that creates the unique arch. “It was something that I got inspired by. I even went so far as to make hidden doors out of onyx in my apartment.” Although he notes that some thought him a bit crazy, the impact of the doors speaks for themselves. Striated with dark hues that look almost textural in muted pink mineral, they make a spirited, yet sophisticated statement in the space.