Posted by Caren – February 27, 2008 10:20 AM
Tags: designer 8

It's tough to care about your environs when you're ill. Most of us have only one thing on our minds — getting better — which suddenly makes obsessing over paint colors extremely trivial. But designer and breast cancer survivor Sara Bengur (pronounced SAH-rah) is aware of the need for two types of healing: within ourselves, and the healing that comes from what's around us.

Based in Manhattan, Sara Bengur Interiors reflects Sara's multi-cultural background and love for the eclectic and exotic. You may have seen her recently in the news regarding Woodycrest House. Sara helped decorate the renovated Bronx building for families whose primary caregiver has H.I.V.

It's no wonder her designs greet the eye with a sense of calm and purpose, even though its elements are lovingly eclectic. You'd think I would have posed the Designer 8 to her from a philosophical perspective; instead, I asked her 8 trivial questions.

Why? The details in life (and design) are sometimes the very things that help ground us when the going gets tough.

1. What's the color of your dishware?
Bengur: I have an eclectic mix of dishware. My dinner plates are a beautiful French, hand done glaze in whites and creams; my dessert/salad plates are ochre ceramic with ruffled edges; then I have a mixture of antique china that I mix in for special occasions!

2. Name a trend you hope to never see again, and explain why.
Bengur: I am looking for the beige craze to end — those sleek, cold interiors with no color that have been fashionable for so long. I think people are ready for color, warmth and individuality.

3. Whose style (celebrity or designer) do you admire?
Bengur: I really admire the designer Alberto Pinto. When you look at books of his work they are all extremely individual and creative. He has a wonderful sense of color and texture.

4. What's your home "secret shame"? (a single messy closet, a habit for pushing shoes under sofas, etc.)
Bengur: I am ashamed to admit that I keep my books stacked on the floor. Buying books is an obsessive hobby of mine, and they really deserve a proper home.

5. If your house was burning down, but you could save one room, which would it be and why?
Bengur: I would say my bedroom. It is my most personal space, really a haven for me. It is where I go to recharge from my fast-paced life.

6. In your opinion, the ugliest decade for the design world, and why?
Bengur: I think the '80s would win that prize. Not a great decade for fashion or interior design. Many apartments are still recovering from the bad decisions made during that time. To me the '80s is about too much black, chrome, pastel colors and argyle patterns. Even it makes a come back, I will boycott!

7. How much time passes before you decide to redo a room in your home?
Bengur: It can be monthly, or yearly. My space changes every time I see a rug or textile I like more than what I have. It is ever evolving, a work in progress. My friends call it the design laboratory. I love to change and play with ideas, colors and textures. Color especially has become a specialty of mine, so I am constantly combining all sorts of hues and shades.

8. What are your top three favorite places to shop for the home?
Bengur: It is very hard to choose just three! We are working during a time where of many wonderful resources. I would say my top three right now are:

• John Robshaw Textiles, he makes beautiful fabric and bedding with exotic patterns
  
• Espasso, a very chic Brazilian contemporary furniture company
  
• Virginia Di Sciascio Antique Textiles, who has a wonderful variety of antique textiles, a constant source of inspiration
  

(All photos courtesy of Sara Bengur and Sara Bengur Interiors.)