I
always wanted to own an
antiques shop, but knew I
would pay too dearly for things,
cherishing them as possessions
rather than inventory. This is
the challenge faced by taste
making couple Mercedes
Desio and Albert Villalobos, of
Villalobos+Desio, whose studio,
Etos, on East 11th Street in
lower Manhattan, is filled with
their own designs as well as
a shining array of objets and
art from mid-century onward.
I always imagine that antiques
proprietors and gallerists save
the best spoils for themselves
and that therefore a glimpse into
their own houses is a privileged
view of private splendor. The
Villalobos+Desio residence does
not disappoint, filled as it is with
a cutting edge collection of
contemporary art balanced by
mid-century classics in furniture
and design. It constitutes the
best of the best, which is not to
give Etos (the shop) short shrift;
gallery and home flow into one
another, creating an aesthetically
rigorous demand matched by an
aesthetically pleasing supply.
HYLAND
