Lighthearted Elegance: At Home with Todd Romano
Written by Shawn Gauthier | Photographed by Patrick Cline | Produced and Art Directed by Michelle Adams
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Decorator Todd Alexander Romano adapts his sophisticated aesthetic to the casual culture of Los Angeles.
Last September, Todd Alexander Romano took a fateful trip to Los Angeles. He’d intended to simply visit a client, but he felt a profound connection with the city from the moment he stepped off the plane. By the time Romano returned to Manhattan, he’d secured a location for a showroom as well as an apartment in West Hollywood. “It was completely unexpected; my coworkers [in New York] thought I’d flipped my lid,” he says with a laugh. “But I immediately knew I had to be out here.”
A French skull print, found in a Paris flea market, adds a touch of whimsy to Romano’s tablescape. “It’s fun to unexpectedly stumble across objects like this,” he says.
The vintage Milo Baughman chrome-and-glass table, purchased from 45 Three Modern Vintage Home, rests beneath a 1964 Andy Warhol offset lithograph of Elizabeth Taylor. “I cherish this painting now that’s she’s no longer with us,” Romano says. The custom nickel-and-brass-plate floor lamps are from Romano’s shop.
Romano’s aesthetic often mixes modern art with traditional pieces. “The most interesting rooms are those that are both personal and eclectic,” says Romano. “You must mix the high with the low, the whimsical with the serious.”
It’s not the first big adventure Romano has taken. When he was 29, he transitioned from men’s fashion design to interiors, and over the past eleven years, he’s become one of the industry’s top decorators. With a successful showroom in Manhattan, Romano says opening a second location in Los Angeles only made sense. “There’s so much talent and so much opportunity to expand the business,” says the designer, whose flair for gracious living was honed during his Texas childhood. “You can live really well even if you’re living in one room, but that room should be clean and well kept, with linens pressed and great little cocktail napkins on the coffee table.”
“I fell in love with this apartment the second I saw the architectural elements,” says Romano. “It’s rare to find this type of detailing in this part of the country.”
An 18th-century Spanish Rococo carved commode sits beneath a 17th-century allegorical painting and a 20th-century still life of shells by Fernand Reynard. “I’ve collected shells since I was a boy,” says Romano. “This piece reflects my love of nature.”
Above the banquette sofa, an artwork by Eric Cahan provides the neutral space with a punch of color. The custom coffee table is from Romano’s shop.
Romano describes his aesthetic as “classic, fresh, tailored, and thoughtful,” elements that are evident in his newly decorated West Hollywood apartment. Located in a 1920s Spanish Colonial building, the space is sophisticated yet casual, comfortable yet elegant. And, as with all of Romano’s interiors, it’s infused with a hint of whimsy. “I have a playful, fun personality, so I use small touches here and there that amuse me,” he says. “It keeps a room from being too chichi.”
Romano found the carved wooden skull in Palm Beach. He added the hands, beads, and hat to make the sculpture seem “a little bit more human.”
Romano is always on the hunt for Mexican folk art featuring a tree-of-life motif. “When I was a kid growing up in South Texas, you could cross the border into Mexico to bring these wonderful things back,” he says. “Nowadays, there are very few people who still make them.”
An 18th-century Spanish Colonial chair from Little Paris Antiques in Los Angeles adds a touch of vintage charm.
With his newly established bicoastal presence, Romano is eager to embark on what he refers to as “the next chapter in Todd Romano design.” “I got where I am today by working hard, staying true to myself, and maintaining a passion,” he says. “I’m an incredibly happy fella doing this every single day.”
Romano blended modern and vintage in his dining space by placing a Saarinen Tulip Table beneath a wrought iron chandelier. The Thonet bentwood chairs, he says, “feel organic.”
“For me, bedrooms are about comfort, luxury, and serenity,” says Romano. “I prefer things simple, yet personal and practical.” The bed is dressed in D. Porthault linens; the custom tufted headboard is upholstered in Claremont fabric. The three-tiered étagère is from Romano’s shop.