Interior design partners Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper are known for their unique approach to style. Ingrao believes that "style" is singular, growing from a particular person, place and circumstance -- design, being a playful process of discovering each client's personal style. Ultimately, Ingrao's projects are open-ended conversations between the taste of his clients and his own intuitions and expertise. With high-profile clients like Kim Cattrall, Jack Welsh and Howard Stern, it's no wonder that Ingrao and Kemper are sought after by many. The partners' breathtaking garden in East Hampton was given a twelve-page spread in House & Garden's December issue on newsstands now.

Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper

Blending a fresh, contemporary approach with old-world classicism, Ingrao's designs are timeless and simultaneously practical for contemporary life. Process, material, and reconciliation with natural elements are his paramount values. With this keen eye towards quality at every level, Ingrao's interiors have been noted for their refinement, utility, and tranquility. Always considering the original creation he's about to reinvent, Ingrao feels that, "Its interesting to pay attention to what the essence of a house is, to capture its spirit".

Over 25 years ago, after attending the Rhode Island School of Design, Ingrao established his studio. Broad in scope, his work has included the restoration and decoration of an 18th century mill house in Pennsylvania, an 11th century monastery in France, and a contemporary Manhattan penthouse inspired by the pop-art movement.

Randy Kemper, creative director of Ingrao, began his professional life as a fashion designer. He was selected by Hubert de Givenchy as a designer for his Paris couture house and later launched his own design firm where he dressed many prominent women of society including First Lady Hillary Clinton. In 1998, after closing his couture business, Kemper joined Ingrao Inc., the architecture, design, and decoration firm based in New York City.

In September 2002, Ingrao opened an exclusive high-end art and antiques gallery East 64th Street in New York City. Located just off Madison Avenue, the gallery not only showcases an impressive assemblage of discovered treasures, but the space itself is a stunning minimalist setting -- indicative of the subdued but real drama present in so many Ingrao projects.

Photo by Eric Piasecki

Mayer Rus of House & Garden says, "writers on the design beat like to describe Tony Ingrao as a 'chameleon'". It's a polite way of saying that they're not entirely sure what to make of him. Ingrao's aesthetic sensibility and signature style defy easy classification and neat labels. He established his place among the world's elite tastemakers through a series of high-profile commissions that demonstrated his mastery of traditional period design, particularly of the 18th-century variety. Four years ago, when Vogue published images of a startlingly modern apartment under the Ingrao imprimatur, eyebrows shot up in disbelief and curiosity. It's perfectly acceptable for designers to draw inspiration (and objects) from diverse periods and style, but Ingrao's brazen volte-face seemed to cross a line. Design discourse in the 20th century was predicated on the fundamental opposition of "modern" and "traditional." That perceived dichotomy, however artificial, continues to shape our understanding of designer's professional identity and personal taste. In other words, designers are allowed to play the field, but they can't switch teams if they want to be taken seriously.

Tony Ingrao has the talent to defy the authority of received ideas. Why should he have to forsake the 18th century in order to embrace the 21st? Why can't one ennoble the other? These are questions that he and partner Randy Kemper have explored to spectacular effect at Ingrao Antiques and Fine Art. The gallery caused a sensation when it opened in 2002. Ingrao was hardly the first person to experiment with the juxtaposition of antiques, contemporary art and architecture, but the audacity of his vision was undeniable. High modernism met its match in antiques of extraordinary quality and character. Ingrao's predilection for furniture with robust, muscular forms and rare materials added to the drama of the pristine environment of finely detailed white marble plances.

There was his beloved 18th-century furniture, never looking more gorgeous—or more relevant. Clearly, the spare installation of Ingrao was a calculated ploy. By setting out a limited number of important pieces on luminous pedestals, the designer was trying to dissipate the fog of history that tends to cloud our view of old furniture. He enticed visitors to appreciate the furniture's sculptural brio and heroic grace and to imagine the centuries-old tales collected in their armrests and drawers. I suspect another reason for the stingy selection: if he celebrated his cherished pieces too successfully, he might have to part with a few of them. Now that he has put a significant portion of his collection up for auction, one has to wonder what the new face of Ingrao will look like. He is, after all, a chameleon."