‘A burst of creativity’ while designing Trump
Q&A > EMY FRAU HAMAMY I liked being able to work with more expensive fabrics and real art.
A handful of the multi-million-dollar Trump units have been decorated as model suites by Emy Frau Hamamy, of Hamamy Design, with Helen Gertchikova, of Urban Tailor. When we asked Hamamy about the highlights, she went to the top: the $9.5-million, 4,313square-foot penthouse.
What space did you most enjoy creating?
The penthouse was my favourite to design. It had a higher budget than the other model suites, therefore we had more choices and could put in pieces that were of a higher calibre — a little bit more refined. It was fun designing the other suites, too, don’t get me wrong. But the penthouse was definitely designed at a different level;
Which suite would you most want to live in and why?
That’s an easy one: the penthouse of course! Who wouldn’t want to live in it? There’s so much light and space.
What was the biggest surprise for you?
I’ve never designed this many model suites at once — believe it or not, I was doing four of them all at the same time. You have such a burst of creativity when you have to design model suites and want each of them to be unique and different from each other, and, because Trump is catering to an international market, also being able to connect with and appeal to different tastes and walks of life.
Is there an item or art piece that’s your favourite?
I chose all the art, so there’s a few of them. But the Reinhard Skoracki piece in the great room of the penthouse — The Straight Line is Godless and Immoral — is one of my favourites. It always makes me giggle; I love that one.
Which piece of decor was the most expensive?
The Fendi Murano vase in the dining room of the penthouse — that alone was $2,500. And although it’s on loan, the Damien Hurst and Alexander McQueen scarf, also in the penthouse; it’s also very expensive. And in the European suite, all the Italian art prints, which I imported myself, are from the 17th century and 18th century — they’re worth thousands of dollars.