The Room on Our Latest Cover Is a Masterclass in Design Mixology

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At VERANDA, we rarely show, or even name, the homeowner in our house tour stories in the magazine or on our website. And I can think of only three times in our 37-year history that we have included a person on our cover: September/October 2017, November/December 2018 and today, with our March/April 2024 cover, featuring Tiffany Home’s Artistic Director Lauren Santo Domingo in her Southampton, New York, house.

So why did we break our own ‘rule’ with this new cover for our fourth annual “Designers At Home” issue?

Well, the issue is one of our six per year in which we do show and name each homeowner featured—not just by chance, but by design. This issue presents an intimate look at how design creatives live at home, plus how those we trust with making the world a more beautiful place fashion their private spaces for resting, gathering, dreaming, and reflecting. And perhaps even more so than the projects we feature in other issues, these homes reflect the unique and original points of view of the visionaries who live in them. You could say their design is autobiographical.

Santo Domingo is one of five designers who graciously welcomed us into their homes, and the living room of the party barn on her property, a new building built on the footprint of an old garage and designed by architect Gil Shafer, is just that: a physical space that brilliantly telegraphs the evolution of her style sensibility when you step across the threshold—or peer through a camera viewfinder.

For example, right off the bat you know she’s a collector. English roll arm seating slipcovered in a cream linen (custom; Billy Baldwin Studio) and a Parsons-style bookcase and side tables—crisp silhouettes that contrast beautifully with the reclaimed antique barn board-clad walls—pave the way for the strong color of the room’s art works to take center stage.

Cambridge Sofa

Shelby Sofa

Eton Upholstered Sofa

While Santo Domingo credits her husband with selecting most of the art in their home, from the Alberto Giacometti plaster sculpture, Albatross, over the mantel to the Alexander Calder tapestry, Les Vers Noirs, by the doors, the Tiffany Home artistic director takes on hanging each piece. “I have learned over time what goes where, and I really enjoy it. When something clicks and lands in its perfect place, it is the most wonderful feeling,” she says.

But it’s not just the art that gives away Santo Domingo’s passion for the hunt. Nestled among the classic upholstery is an edgy mix of vintage pieces from the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, including a free-form coffee table inspired by Jean Royere. The juxtaposition offers up another clue for decoding Santo Domingo’s distinct style: a discerning blend of traditional with a side of swank.

Vintage Maple Coffee Table

Karl Springer "Freeform" Coffee Table

Baarlo Oak Coffee Table

“I am always on the hunt for things. When my friends are golfing or playing tennis, I’m at antique fairs and vintage markets,” Santo Domingo says. “I always try to have multiple eras, decades or styles—at least three different periods—to create some interest.”

As for what catches her eye when on the hunt, Santo Domingo confesses she’s “drawn to anything that is beautiful. There are many things I fall in love with, of course, but I’ve learned to be ruthless with quality. There’s a certain vintage patina that I love, but underneath there needs to be expert craftsmanship.”

That penchant for craftsmanship is reflected in the textiles she and interior designer Virginia Tupker selected for the space, from the curtains, which are antique French linen sheets sewn together in patchwork motif, to the Navajo-inspired wool carpet featuring a vibrant, geometric pattern that harmonizes with the organic lines in the Calder tapestry.

Carlota Wool Rug

Hand-Knotted Navajo Rug

Navajo Geometric Rug

Of course, to focus only on the contents of the room would be an incomplete telling of Santo Domingo’s story. It’s the interior architecture—the vertical barn boards, the red oak timber framing, the lime-washed ceiling boards, and the wire-brushed granite floors, the divided light pocket doors that slide open to the garden—that envelops the elements with warmth and charisma.

Here, deeply personal style is as elegant as it is at ease, not unlike rooms characterized as exuding “bookshelf wealth” (the one TikTok trend we predict will stick around). The design of the space welcomed us right away with a polished-yet-distinctive introduction to its owner, Santo Domingo. This chic and expertly curated space is a direct reflection of her, and we believe this type of personality-driven design—with a mix of textures, colors, art, and furniture styles—will endure forever.

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