Whether he is crafting a Manhattan apartment or a beach house on a tropical island, Tom Scheerer consistently creates rooms that are restrained but richly layered, eclectic, and colorful, yet never chaotic. In his second book, More Decorating (Vendome) the designer shares 16 favorite projects, from New England to Paris to the Bahamas, all of which showcase his unique ability to merge comfort with charm.
The sunroom of a 1930s Georgian house in Dallas is shaded by retractable black-and-white-striped awnings. The designer’s favorite Lyford Trellis wallpaper was rescaled and recolored for both the sunroom and the adjacent dining room. The round coffee table by Robsjohn-Gibbings is surrounded by an artful mix, including a Billy Baldwin slipper chair, antique wicker chairs, a Restoration Hardware sofa, and a custom Bridgewater chair from Luther Quintana Upholstery. The end tables are simple painted plywood boxes.
In a holiday house on Harbour Island in the Bahamas, the walls in the bar area are covered in pickled pecky cypress and colorful Moroccan tiles; the kitchen beyond is equally boldly patterned, with Cuban-style Katie tile from Villa Lagoon Tile.
The guest room of a Fifth Avenue apartment designed for long-time clients houses a collection of Napoleon memorabilia and evokes traditional campaign style. The embroidered cashmere throws on the beds are from Loro Piana.
In the living room of the designer’s own vacation house on the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands, the matching sofas are covered in white duck slipcovers; a pair of woven rattan “rockers” face a courtyard and the television crowned with oryx horns.
In the living room of a Houston house originally built in 1977, a vintage Bielecky Brothers coffee table is centered in the room, and the painting is by Sangram Majumdar. The Windsor chair was left behind by the previous owner and became a touchstone for the house’s renovation.
In a Shingle-style weekend house on Long Island, the living room’s distinctive paneling is set off by a sculpture by Jane Rosen that stands guard, and a 1970s Perle Fine painting over the oak table.
Scheerer had originally decorated this Park Avenue apartment 23 years earlier for a client who wanted a refresh. In the dining area, the bold upholstery of the settee was inspired by Pauline Potter, the American wife of Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The dining table was updated with a mirrored cube base that makes the top appear to float. The lacquered Verner Panton chairs were part of the initial 1996 decoration. The Italian chandelier has been electrified, yet retains a ring of beeswax candles for lighting at night.
In a 230-year-old shingled house in East Hampton, the designer fitted out the living room with a new dhurrie carpet that lends it a fresh and beachy air. The blue stripes echo the antique beamed ceiling and add to the range of various blues throughout the house.
The cover of the designer’s latest book, More Decorating, published by Vendome.
