Striking balances

Vermont native Billy Cotton moved to New York to study and, after earning a degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute, opened his agency there in 2007. Signature project. His décor for artist Cindy Sherman’s apartment put him in the big leagues and brought him to the attention of the New York art world. After a stint as creative director of Ralph Lauren Home, he now focuses on his own architecture and design studio. Style. Influenced as much by the Bauhaus as Madeleine Castaing, he takes special care to balance his spaces, regulating the light through a judicious use of color. What’s new. He has recently completed houses in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and the Hamptons.