New York-based interior designer and Interior Design Hall of Fame inductee Paul Siskin recently passed away at the age of 77 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ranked among the country’s top 100 designers by New York, House Beautiful, and New York Home magazines, Siskin was known for his eclectic style, decorative skills, and unique eye for antiques.
“Paul was a rare talent. Having grown up in his family’s successful furniture business, his knowledge of antiques and the decorative arts was prolific,” says Interior Design Editor-In-Chief Cindy Allen. “In his interior design work though, everything he touched added this magical, modern twist. He was a master of scale and pattern—beyond chic!—and totally and uniquely Paul.”
Cofounder of the firm Siskin-Valls Interior Design, which he launched with his late business and life partner Perucho Valls, Siskin created spaces that are elegant and functional with a touch of whimsy. Over the years, his projects have spanned the globe, putting his mark on spaces as diverse as a hotel in Caracas, Venezuela, to a luxury yacht in Holland, as well as various residences throughout the United States.
Paul Siskin. Photography courtesy of Siskin-Valls Interior Design.
Take his 2,300-square-foot home in Hudson, New York—a charming property nicknamed Brokeback Manor that’s perched atop a ridge in a residential enclave known for its largely gay and lesbian community. Studded with stucco and glass, Siskin has called the home “a Palladian pavilion reimagined by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.” Free-flowing with a loftlike interior, the kitchen, dining and living areas are seamlessly integrated and furnished with assorted pieces and unique antiques Siskin collected—a detail also seen in his New York office.
“In my early days as editor, I still remember how thrilled I was to publish his live/work apartment full of the most eclectic and curated objects he loved (think oversized chemist flasks, and a stop dead-in-your-tracks angelic ceiling mural) that somehow all grouped together looked like art,” adds Allen.
Paul Siskin’s house in Hudson, New York. The living area features a cocktail table designed by Siskin and a sofa upholstered in Belgian linen. Photography by Eric Laignel.
Exploring The Life + Lasting Legacy Of Paul Siskin
Born in Los Angeles in 1947, Siskin came from a furniture family dating back to his grandfather. His family successfully ran Angelus, one of the largest furniture manufacturers west of the Mississippi before the company expanded into the retail world. Interested in pursuing a path in the decorative arts instead, Siskin moved to New York in 1974 to study at Parsons School of Design.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art in Interior Design, he soon took a job working with Hall of Fame member John Saladino at his firm in 1977, where he would meet lifelong friend and fellow Hall of Famer Laura Bohn. Hired around the same time, Siskin and Bohn bonded instantly, keeping in touch even when the former left the firm to start up Siskin-Valls. The two would continue to be close friends, frequently collaborating on product launches, meeting at The Plaza Hotel in New York, and sharing a love of always “trying something new.” In the spring of 2024, Siskin visited Bohn’s Chateau in Blois, France, and spent two weeks marveling over the architecture and its 17 bedrooms.
Bohn recalls Siskin’s keen eye for design stating, “His Kips Bay Showhouse room, created with his partner Perucho Valls in 1988, is still legendary.” The room featured an embroidered slip-covered chair with a crinoline train, and was an early manifestation of the fashion-décor alliance seen today.
Paul Siskin and Laura Bohn posing together. Photography by Wendy Silverstein.
Inside Siskin’s New York home, the library’s bookshelves are made of mahogany. Photography by Eric Laignel.
In 2020, Siskin relocated from New York to Santa Fe, where he continued his interior design practice and promoted his metal furniture collection, Angelus Furniture. Up until his passing, Siskin continued to combine grandeur with definitive comfort, leaving a legacy defined by his creative spark and stellar work.
“Paul was always a kind, dear, generous, sweet, loving, and enormously talented person. His work is brilliant, he was very knowledgeable about antiques, and he was really a special kind of designer,” Bohn recalls fondly. “He was different from everybody else; he had different tastes and different ideas, and he was fun. Paul will be missed.”
“Paul wasn’t just my brother; he was my best friend. He was a friend to many throughout his life, from childhood through his adult and professional life,” Janie Siskin, Paul’s sister, also adds. “Paul was warm, kind, humble, and generous. He was also incredibly funny and fun to be around. Additionally, he was exquisitely talented and loved his work. He brought joy and laughter to all of us, and we are heartbroken by his loss.”
Siskin is survived by his sisters, Dorothy and Janie, and nieces, Barbara and Sharifa.
The eye-catching ceiling of Siskin’s office in New York, 1986. Photography by Eric Laignel.
Paul Siskin sharing his expertise with a crowd. Photography courtesy of Siskin-Valls Interior Design.