After working for more than 20 years as a set designer, decorator and stylist on Spin City, The Nanny Diaries and Kinsey among others, Andrew Baseman opened his firm, Andrew Baseman Design, in 2003. We sat down with this dapper designer to find out more about his life on set, love of antiques and what he looks for in a client.
1. Tell us a little about your current business
I opened my interior design business in 2004 after many years of working as a set designer and decorator in theatre, film and television. It grew out of producers asking me to work on their own homes and I realized I enjoyed designing environments for “real people” as much as for scripted characters. Although after a few projects, I discovered some of the fictitious characters were more “real” than some of my clients!
2. Other than Craft Services, what do you love about working on a movie set like The Nanny Diaries? 
Craft service is a nice perk but I really love the interaction with my co-workers on the set. On The Nanny Diaries, I worked with a very talented production designer, Mark Ricker, and a wonderful assistant, Kate Yatsko. I was also blessed to work with the co-writers and directors (and married couple) Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who were so appreciative of everything we did. Their enthusiasm kept the set lively.
3. What do you hate?
Not lovin’ the hours! It’s not uncommon to “open” a set meaning doing a walk thru with the director and creative team to make sure all is in order at 6AM, which means getting up as early as 4:30AM. And working 12-14 hours every day is not uncommon, either.
4. When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
His early interest in antiques resulted in a coffee table book, The Scarf, which chronicled the history of the printed scarf.
At 11, I was allowed to choose new furnishings and update my entire bedroom. I had lived with drab Johnny Appleseed patterned curtains for 5 years and enough was enough. I chose dark mustard for the wall color, dark brown cork for an accent wall, a tri-color shag carpet in brown, tan and cream, a Danish modern teak desk with clean lines, a chrome chair with a black naugahyde seat and striped Vera bedding with matching curtains in brown, black, tan and white. I was very pleased with my new bachelor pad, which stood out from the other rooms in our antique-filled house.
5. How does where you come from influence your aesthetic today?
By the time I was 13 we had lived in 7 different homes and in 4 different towns, from Short Hills, NJ to the Berkshires. I enjoyed figuring out how to arrange my stuff in my new bedrooms. By the time we ended up in Massachusetts, my mother opened an antiques shop and I worked “behind the scenes” repairing broken things and refinishing furniture. It gave me an early appreciation of how handcrafted objects were made and I knew I wanted to be involved with antiques for the rest of my life.
6. What is the worst design mistake people make?
Some people I encounter think every element in the room has to match exactly, including metal finishes. I am not afraid to have different shades of a color, and I actually encourage my clients to mix up colors and finishes. Some clients are afraid of vintage items showing their age or having a patina and want everything to be shiny and pristine. I enjoy seeing the life of an item through the wear it shows.
7. Who is your favorite fashion designer?
I love practically everything Paul Smith has designed and have worn his clothes since I could first afford them. I also love the gorgeous prints of English designer Georgina von Etzdorf. She has created the most dazzling and lush scarves, ties, vests and dressing gowns and I must own close to 50 pieces.
8. What is your favorite vacation destination?
I am not the type to lie around on a beach. I prefer to explore a city or town. I love walking around London and taking the train to the country, as well as driving around Tuscany. My partner Mark and I have traveled quite a bit to Mexico and love the food and culture of Mexico City and Oaxaca.
9. What is your favorite hotel in your local city, New York?
I have not seen many of the new hotels in NYC. I am most happy in my own NYC apartment, where the bed is comfortable and the maid service, provided by myself, is exceptional.
10. What’s your all time favorite food? Least favorite?
I have a dangerous sweet tooth and I love ice cream. Unfortunately (fortunately?) my partner makes homemade ice cream so it is always in the freezer. My favorite flavor is honey with homemade almond brittle, using our own honey from the beehives we have at our upstate house. As far as my least favorite food, I had a traumatic incident involving a piece liver and a warm glass of Coke that I would rather not talk about.
11. How does your work impact the design in your own home?
I see my home interior as a work in progress, incorporating pieces I purchased while still in college (I was the only student in Donner Hall with antique furniture), including objects I find on the job and while traveling. Sometimes I feel a bit like the shoemaker’s (dare I say Schumacher’s?) kid having no shoes. As much as I am inspired by all of the beautiful furnishings I provide for my clients, I am not always able to furnish my own home the way that I would like and have yet to find a comfortable and affordable sofa.
12. If I gave you 10,000 dollars right now, how would you spend it?
I am not going to lie and say I would donate it all to charity. I would like to travel to China to learn the ancient technique of metal staple repair in porcelain objects and to study the art of Kintsugi in Japan. And if there is enough left over, I’d like to finally buy a new sofa. OK, I’ll make a donation to charity instead of the sofa.
13. What’s your favorite fragrance?
I go “au naturale” and do not douse myself with cologne, but my favorite scents include lemon, lavender and pine. I still keep a small pine scented sachet with “Souvenir from New Hampshire” printed on it in my sock drawer. I’ve had it since I was 10. And yes, it still smells faintly of pine.
14. What is the most frequently played song on your iPod?
My iPod is filled with film soundtracks and Broadway show tunes… from before Glee made it trendy. The Cotton Club soundtrack with jazzy music by Duke Ellington always lifts my spirits. I often listen to romantic music from 1920’s & 1930’s shows and operettas from composers including Kern, Romburg and Gershwin. Oh, and then there’s Flahooley.
Baseman's first interior design project, a 5,000 s/f gut renovation triplex on the Upper West Side for a theatre producer couple and their young child.
15. Describe your ideal client.
I am thrilled when a new client comes to our first meeting able to articulate their likes and dislikes. Bringing photos, tear sheets and color references also helps a lot. It can start the ball rolling. I have had clients who have no idea of what they want but are open to learning and appreciate what I show them. My greatest satisfaction is when a client lets me know how much they love living in the environment I helped create for them.
16. Who is your style icon?
My cat Bridget. She is a skittish Russian Blue rescue cat, who possesses the most beautiful gray coat I have ever seen. I’ve tried matching her fur color for projects, including a rug I designed for my own living room, but I can never get the exact color match. And best of all, she has remained grounded and has not let her beauty go to her little head.
17. What projects are you working on now?
I am finishing up a nursery for a previous client. As long as my clients keep having babies, I’ll still be in business. Next month I start work on a large residence on Fisher Island, FL for one of my favorite clients, which I am looking forward to.
18. Looking back on your own experience, what advice would you give to up and coming designers who want to break into the movie business?
The work can be fun and rewarding but the pace is lightning fast. For example, I spent about 2 months creating the 14 room Upper East Side apartment set in The Nanny Diaries while working on the other 50 or so other sets for the film, and on a very small budget. In “real life”, I would have spent about 2 years on a project of the same scale and I would have a much larger budget to work with.
19. Looking back on your own experience, what advice would you give to up and coming designers, who want to start their own design firms?
Schmooze. It’s all about who you know and making new contacts. Go to parties, galas and openings and bring plenty of business cards to hand out.
20. What do you love most about summer?
Ice cream! (see question 10)
Want to hear more from Andrew Baseman? Check out Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair.
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