"COLOR IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PROJECTS."

What motivated you to expand beyond interior design to create your own product designs and home offerings?

Brian: When I created Gluckstein Home, which is a product assortment of home furnishings, it was really inspired by consumers who saw our work in magazines and on television–I've been on television in Canada for decades–and people who ask: Where can I get that? Where can I buy that furniture? That bedding? So I went about creating an accessible brand that represents my point of view around interior design, but at an affordable price point.

How critical is the role of color and how you go about creating the palette that informs the project?

Brian: Color is probably the most important part of our projects. We have different color palettes in different regions, hot climates and cold climates. We would do something different in Aspen than we would do in Palm Beach, than we would do in Toronto or in the south of France. So it does influence us and the color in our paints and textiles, you would look at our spaces and you would know where they were based on color. So in Palm Beach, in Florida in general, we use a much fresher approach. And then in the northeast maybe a more neutral palette, maybe a little deeper and darker.

How much does the client's color preferences influence your decision when creating a palette?

Brian: I often look at our clients as the way they dress and if someone is always in neutrals, it's a different palette than if someone that is wearing more pattern and color. So I really take the cue from them and then we look at where the project is and go from there. If someone wants bold colors, they have to live that, they have to want to dress like that, they have to be very bold. And if someone is used to neutrals, you focus more on neutral and the architecture and the color work hand in hand.

Is there one particular go-to Benjamin Moore colors to which you gravitate?

Brian: There really isn't one color. There are so many whites, the choice depends on whether the house has a blue cast or a neutral cast. There probably is a section of the fan deck that I that I go to all the time. But I wouldn't say there's a specific color. We do this show house in Canada every year and I seem to always pick Stonington Gray, I don't know why, and I don't intentionally pick it, I just say, oh I like this and my team will point out that I use that one a lot. So that's probably one of them. But there's so many, I would say that I could curate out of the whole fan deck, probably 20 or 30 pages that I use on a regular basis.

You did the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator's Show House in New York. Was there an emotionally rewarding aspect of doing that work?

Brian: Doing the Kips Bay Show House is like the Oscar's of interior design. Of course, the charity is so important–I work with a similar charity in Canada, the Children's Aid Foundation, that also helps youth. The other great aspect is collaborating with designers. You're working with 23 other design firms and contractors and there is a real friendship. One designer likened it to going to summer camp; we're all together, we're all going through the same thing, we're all helping everybody else.

Is there an individual you would identify as one of your most admired for design contributions?

Brian: There are a few designers that I really admire. I go back to Jean Michel Frank who was the beginning of beautiful modern interiors and furniture. We are lucky enough to use some original pieces by Jean Michel Frank in some of our projects. I look at John Saladino for his use of color; he's a master of mixing great architecture, an incredible palette of color through paint and fabrics, and antiques and furniture. The two of them are quite different–Jean Michel Frank was more for neutrals, and John Saladino was a master with color. They both inspire me.

When does technology in a residence become too much technology?

Brian: I think we're reaching the point where we're putting too much technology in a house. I don't really need an app to turn on a faucet. I would like to just turn on a light switch, turn on the shower when I need to use it, I'm not coming home from work and turning on my shower on the way home. Technology changes so rapidly, so you have to be somewhat cautious about how much of it you put in. We tell the client: technology is to make your life easier, but not overtake you.

Want more? Get design tips from Brian Gluckstein in our 'Bedroom Style Ideas.'