If Ernest de la Torre isn't the calmest and most courteous person in the design industry, he sure is giving it a run for its money.  From clients to colleagues it seems that we can't find anyone who has ever had a scrap with Ernie.

Ernest attributes his bonhomie to his psychiatrist father with whom he shares a similar demeanor and temperament. “There are many similarities to being a therapist and a designer,” explains Ernest. “I listen to my client's hopes, desires and wishes – and distill from this what it is they actually want to do. Being able to synthesize their feelings into something tangible is what I like to do.”

Ernie's parents arrived from Cuba to the United States in 1956, to Evanston, Illinois where Ernie's dad began his medical studies at Northwestern University, ultimately to become double boarded in psychiatry and neurology.  Ernie's grandparents remained behind in Cuba, trying to protect the family's real estate holdings, but when the revolution began, it was clear that all was lost and their lives, as they knew it, was over.  Ernie tells of his grandparents' plight: “My grandfather quickly sold what he could and bought himself a thick, heavy winter coat and my grandmother, a fur. The officials in Cuba took their coats and their luggage from them as they boarded the plane. They literally came over with the shirts on their backs. They rebounded when my grandfather discovered the stock market. Ten years later, he was able to retire on his earnings. My father would tell this story to us kids as a lesson: that adversity makes the strong stronger." Or as Ernie quotes Friedrich Nietzsche, “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.”

As a child, Ernie excelled at prep school to matriculate at Marquette University from which he earned degrees in economics and finance. Upon graduation, Ernest secured an impressive position with IBM, reporting directly to the Corporation's presidents and to the Board of Directors; yet, he still longed to express his design talents outside of the world of “Big Blue.”  No matter how successful his career with IBM, Ernest felt unfulfilled and noticed that he did not experience any real joy unless he was remodeling houses, which he did on the side.  He realized that it was from this medium that, “...I could get my creative juices flowing and use my pent-up interior designer energy.”

De la Torre embarked on a career in design with famed architect Peter Marino in New York. Being inspired by the many magnificent art and antiques circulating through the Marino office, Ernest made the conviction to devote further study, this time in a two year program with Sotheby's Fine and Decorative Arts in London.  Researching of antiques and the study of history have remained constants in his life as they are two of his lifelong passions.

Returning to New York, Ernest teamed with Ian Schrager to reconstruct the Library of the Morgans Hotel. Joining Ralph Lauren Home Division, de la Torre expanded his creative ingenuity by designing new furniture, lighting, tabletop and textiles.

In 2001, de la Torre founded his own design studio and has since completed significant homes and design projects in New York, Palm Beach and Greenwich, CT.  Presently, the de la Torre design firm is in partnership with Cooper Robertson Partners Architects in a stunning development in which the organic influences of George Nakashima and Phillip Powel are felt throughout their construction of a triplex penthouse that features open terraces on each level.

WHAT DIRECTION IS YOUR STYLE COMPASS POINTED TO?

FASHION: Hermès: my favorite is Hermès, especially their coats.  I love John Lobb shoes, but my favorite pair of shoes is from Cleverley in London. My custom suits from Richard James are also special, but you don’t want to have desert in them. Those English suits are so form fitting.

FABRICS: I am getting into doing custom textiles to come up with more creative patterns to tie together the architecture and  custom furniture. For instance, for the loft in Soho we wanted to do a custom woven silk of a modern Japanese pattern from the 1950s – 60s. We adapted the Japanese trellis pattern into a custom woven French silk at a mill
I found in Paris.

COLORS: I’m into a saddle leather – an orangey brown and the organic colours that vary from there.  In warmer climates like Palm Beach, I am into the jewel tones.
I love eggplant right now.

TRAVEL: I’m off to Buenos Aires. I’ve been to Europe so many times and I still enjoy it, but I am behind on Central and South America.

FLORAL/GARDENING: We have a place in the country to try our hands at all kinds of gardening techniques and plants. My partner, Kris, is a self-taught horticulturist and landscape architect who teaches me new things about exterior decorating every day. But who knew those damn rare plants  would be so expensive?

BOOKS: 740 Park by Michael Gross, because I have a client who lives there. I’m a history buff so it’s perfect.

MUSIC: I’m sadly still listening to the Pet Shop Boys, much to the chagrin of my friends.  I’m still stuck in the 80s. I’m having a one man revival of Depeche Mode.

RESTAURANT: The Gramercy Tavern.

ENTERTAINING: I use Soho House as my dining room in the city; and in the country, we like to do drinks parties as we have failed miserably at dinner parties.

HOTEL: The Amanjena resort in Morocco.

MUSEUM: The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC is a great surprise and Bilbao for the architecture.

GIFTS: I like to give people a book that I’ve read so we can discuss it, or tickets to a Broadway show – something interactive.

ART: Vik Muniz. Love his photography. I love his transformation of objects into recognizable forms.