If I were going to hire an interior designer, the first person I would call is Emily Eerdmans. Not only is Emily an esteemed writer, design historian, and gallery owner, but she was also one of Mario Buatta’s dearest friends and protégée. Emily is the author of Mario Buatta : Fifty Years of American Interior Decoration, and upon the legendary designer’s passing, she was hired by his estate to oversee the sale of the extensive collections from his Manhattan and Connecticut homes. Dubbed “Buattacon,” the three-day event created a frenzy amongst the “chintz and china set” (source), exceeding Sotheby’s highest projected estimate by 2.5 times. A renewed passion for the Prince of Chintz was ushered in, and the Grandmillennial generation was born.
Along the way, Emily picked up Mario’s best tips and tricks of the trade which she brilliantly channeled when decorating Eerdmans, the Greenwich Village townhouse just off Fifth Avenue that serves as her gallery, advisory office, and residence. In addition to writing Mario Buatta’s monograph, Emily has also written books on Henri Samuel, Madeleine Castaing, Hunt Slonem, and many more. From the furniture, antiques, and artwork offered at Eerdmans to her collection management services and design consultations, Emily’s extensive research of exceptional interiors can be seen in everything she does.
Today we will step inside Eerdmans, Emily’s personal home and gallery inspired by the original Colefax and Fowler, “where Nancy Lancaster’s bedsit is the crown jewel of the shop,” she told VERANDA. Photography is by Kelley Marshall from the September/October 2021 issue of VERANDA, with additional photography provided to The Glam Pad via Emily Eerdmans.
In the “Studio 54” powder room, Emily used a Brunschwig print (beloved by Henri Samuel) to distract from the various shades of vintage pink tile.
The entrance was inspired by Berard’s Guerlain trompe l’oeil. It was painted by Haleh Atabeigi with chartreuse, gold and purple decoration on Kelly Green by Benjamin Moore.
The silver room is the gallery’s entrance hung with Tug Rice’s enthusiast series. The mirror was once in Parish Hadley’s office.
ABOUT EMILY EERDMANS
After receiving her master’s degree in fine and decorative arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London, Emily Eerdmans worked for some of the world’s foremost antique dealers, attended the Attingham Summer School, and taught connoisseurship and design history at the New York School of Interior Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is the author of a long list of books and on the history of design as well as many articles in scholarly and national publications. She currently at work on several new titles, including a highly anticipated sequel on Mario Buatta! Her hallmarks are discretion, transparency, expertise, and—the very reason she and Mario clicked—a sense of humor and the belief that our daily lives are enriched by art and antiques. Emily is as beloved for her warmth and friendliness as she is respected for her intellect and aesthetic. She is one of those rare people you click with immediately and feel you have known for years. 🙂
To learn more, please visit Eerdmans and VERANDA. You can also follow @eerdmansnewyork on Instagram for ongoing inspiration.
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What a delightful space to call home!
Thank you for featuring my mural for Emily’s fantastic new space! We have Mario in common, and as a result an aesthetic in common, that helped us create this design together. Anyone who can, please go visit, it’s truly a shop of wonder and beauty, a whole world opens once you pass through the unassuming door.
Emily is lovely. We met here in Hudson when she was giving a talk on Henri Samuel at Stair Galleries, because Susan Gutfruend was auctioning many of her things from her collection that Henri helped her build. I recognize so many things of Mario’s at Emily’s place. What a nice hommage to him.
Really love her primrose art and pillows! And I think my mom had her bathroom wallpaper as fabric on our screen porch when I was a kid, it must be a classic. Thank you for sharing, love your website!