Peter Pennoyer
Peter Pennoyer is the founding partner of Peter Pennoyer Architects, the New York-based architecture and design firm. He is a member of Architectural Digest’s AD100, a trustee of the Morgan Library & Museum, and president of The Whiting Foundation. He is a regular contributor to The New Criterion and co-author, with Anne Walker, of five books on early twentieth-century American architectural practices and the author of A House in the Country, written with his wife, interior designer Katie Ridder. Peter has served as chairman and board member of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, and in 2014 he was elected to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.
Alice Engel
Alice Engel leads the Interior Design Department at Peter Pennoyer Architects. A native New Yorker with an A.B. in History of Art and Architecture from Harvard College and a Masters in Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design, Alice draws on her experience in high end residential and commercial design to develop distinctive finishes and furnishings that suit the character of each project.
Peter Pennoyer Architects's Project Showcase
Photo credit: Eric Piasecki
Our Interview with Peter Pennoyer and Alice Engel
Q
What’s the best thing about shopping in person?
A.
The dealers and artisans we work with have tremendous knowledge that we are lucky to mine — in person is best!
Q
Who is your ideal client?
A.
The ideal client is willing to share their dreams, have fun and be inspired by our designs.
Q
How do you define beauty?
A.
Beauty is a reflection of nature and its ideal proportions.
Q
What might the design world look like in 15 years?
A.
We’ve seen the design world democratize, splinter and globalize in past decades. The resulting appreciation of craft and the comfort found in objects and antiques can only continue.
Q
Best way to relax/decompress?
A.
Hand sketching, whether life drawing or furniture plans. One can do it anywhere with few supplies.
Q
A book that everyone should read?
A.
War and Peace has captured our imagination recently for its distillation of early 19th C Petersburg.
Q
What is one Instagram account you can’t live without?
A.
@classicist_org
Q
How would you define your work in three words?
A.
Classical, modern, refined.
Q
Favorite city to recharge?
A.
London, for the John Soane Museum especially.
Q
What’s your favorite time of day?
A.
Early morning, when the office and New York City are at their most peaceful.
