Fab Friday with Jon Call

Today I’m chatting with one of the freshest talents in interior design today, Jon Call of Mr. Call Designs .Mr. Call has had quite the busy year. House Beautiful recently named Mr. Call Designs as “The Next Wave” for 2012, he was the winner of the Benjamin Moore Hue Award , he found time to design a chic and sexy tabletop for the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Spring Gala , and was named as one of the top male influences in fashion by popular British fashion blog ” Fashion We Like .” Jon also appeared at this week’s 2012 Blogfest , hosted by Kravet , speaking about his “Ah-Ha” moments in design. Robin Baron: What does fabulous mean to you? Jon Call: Fabulous means to me that something or someone has a generosity of spirit. Whether its a person that invests their time and attention to a relationship, or a living room that gives everyone the opportunity to put their feet up: whenever anybody or anything truly takes the time to make another person feel at ease, that’s fabulous.

RB: What do you love most about what you do?

JC: The client contact. It’s always an amazing experience to decorate a home for someone.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor? JC: I keep things really clean and bright at home. My bedroom is painted Benjamin More “Super White – 02”. I have a simple Swedish white four-poster bed, two peekaboo Lucite consoles from CB2 that I use as night tables, with vintage Anglepoise lamps. The bedding is white, the flooring is white, there are white wood blinds with canvas tapes in the windows. People are shocked when they come into my home by how simple everything is.

RB: What do you love most about your home and why? JC: The neighborhood I live in. I’ve been a resident of the Lower East Side for 10 years now. I’m inspired by everything, from the graffiti on the street to the amazing clothing boutiques. There this fantastic new American classic menswear boutique called Feltraiger that just opened up down the block. It’s so nice having a good clothing store steps away from my front door now. I am spoiled! Living in New York City, I love that there are surprises lurking around every corner.

RB: What object in your home inspires you the most? JC: I have a Dutch Tulipiere that was given to me as a gift years ago. It is done in a rustic style so that it almost looks like a barnacle or organic growth. If you look closely you can see the fingerprints of the artist that crafted it, and the glaze is lovingly inconsistent – opaque in some places and translucent in others. Items that reinterpret classic design with a modern ease and sensibility totally turn me on and lend inspiration to my work.

RB: We both use Social Media heavily in our businesses. Where do you see the next big trend in Social Media for Interior Designers? JC: Pinterest is the buzzword all across the board. Recently, Mr. Call Designs has been using it to communicate with clients as we shop for their projects. I call it “Design in Real Time” because as I’m actively pulling items for a client’s project, they can be on the other end responding to the selections. It has cut our design time in half and it’s opened up our design style and aesthetic to a broader community. Most importantly, however, it has created better designs for our clients – allowing them to actively participate in the selection process. RB: I’m always interested in how fellow designers are influenced by their travels, restaurants and daily life. From a design standpoint, where is your most favorite place and what is your favorite restaurant? JC: I’ve never been, but I have this dream of Tokyo that inspires my work. It just seems like such a melting pot– an intense density of design influences converging in one place at a completely frenetic pace. Recently I was looking at pictures of business men in tailored Savile Row suits mixing company with kids dressed in club wear with pink hair and incredibly zany outfits. There’s a tension there between two polar opposites that provides a type of energy, something that I have always liked to pull into my work.

My favorite restaurant is The Standard Grille in the Meatpacking district (whenever I’m lucky enough to get a reservation !). It feels like the “Living Room” of NYC and you never know who you are going to cross paths with. Combined with the fact that they make the best drink in New York, this restaurant is always on my short list. Be sure to order the “Penny Dropper” when you are there: It’s my secret vice. RB: Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? JC: I’m single.