MP: Is there a particular style of upholstered furniture that you find timeless?
NB: I revert to the classic style with simple linens and no gimmicks. I love the contemporary styling of '30s French Art Deco designer Jean-Michel Frank and classically designed English sofas. Whether I am doing a contemporary or traditional room, I like the furniture to be slightly overscaled.

MP: Is there a particular furniture designer that you favor at the moment?
NB: André Arbus, the late French artist whose furniture is revered for its lean, modernist lines.

MP: Do you prefer furniture to be slipcovered or upholstered?
NB: If a piece is going to get a lot of wear and tear -- especially from children -- upholstery is best. While slipcovers add a relaxed attitude to a piece of furniture and can be done in many creative ways, they tend to shift and wrinkle.

MP: You seem to prefer using solid fabrics. If a client likes patterns, how do you incorporate them?
NB: Solids are what I like to do best. If the form of a piece of furniture is great, solid fabric will show it off. On the other hand, if you don't like the lines of a piece, a pattern will cover its flaws because your eye is looking at the pattern, not the form. If a client likes strong patterns, I'll use them in places that can be easily changed -- pillows, throws, or slipcovers. Patterns I like are checks and stripes. If I do use flowered patterns, I prefer ones with softer colors and subtler designs.

MP: I love the way you use unexpected color combinations. Do you currently have any favorites?
NB: I recently did a living room with a trim that was very large in scale. I used Benjamin Moore's Rockport Gray (HC 105) on the trim. Although it looks dark on a chip, it brought the scale of the trim down and balanced the room. A combination I have used recently is Benjamin Moore's Dry Sage (2142-50) and Gray Mirage (2142-40). The greens are very soft and helped blend with nature.

MP: What three paint colors could you not do without?
NB: Pratt & Lambert's Pearly Gates (used in double formula), Phantom, and Shadow Beige.

MP: People often feel obligated to paint their ceilings white. How do you address ceilings?
NB: A general rule is not to paint the ceiling white unless the trim is white. However, all rules are meant to be broken. For example, if a room has a "pool house" feel, white trim and a dusty blue ceiling can be fabulous. For ceilings, I usually mix white with either 25 or 50 percent wall color. If the ceilings are too high, painting the ceiling the same color as the wall brings down the ceiling.