A native of Milwaukee now living in New York City, Glenn Gissler began
studying art at the age of 11. Later, numerous self-guided tours of
Chicago museums and art galleries marked the beginning of a lifelong
pursuit of experiencing art firsthand—a passion that Gissler turned
into profession. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of
Design with degrees in fine arts and architecture, he worked with
interior designer Juan Montoya and architect Rafael Viñoly before
founding Glenn Gissler Design, Inc.,
a Manhattan-based interior design firm where Gissler—known for his
understated, elegant designs—creates unobtrusive and personalized
spaces by establishing an “organizational strategy that brings a
luxurious ease to movement in the space.” In addition to having his
work covered in publications such as Elle Decor, InStyle, House and Garden and The New York Times, as well as in several books, Gissler has been included on House Beautiful and New York Magazine’s
“100 Top Designers” lists and, in 2009, was a visiting critic for the
students’ final reviews at Parsons School of Design, the Fashion
Institute of Technology and his alma mater. Included in his long list
of upscale projects are the showrooms and home of fashion designer (and
Project Runway judge) Michael Kors and his own Greenwich Village apartment, which he shares with his wife and daughter.
Do you derive any ideas from nature or other disciplines? Music? Theater? Literature?
I
consider that one of my jobs as a designer is to feed my subconscious
by any means necessary! I listen to music a lot and love to see live
music of almost any sort! I love art museums and art galleries! I enjoy
theater, but not generally Broadway. Movies, fashion magazines, travel,
food and tasting red wine. I have many, many more red wines to taste
before I go!
Who are your role models?
Albert Hadley,
for his commitment to educating the next generation and the restraint
and practicality and charm of his design work; Joe D’Urso, for his
brilliance in the placement of furniture and objects, and for his
incredible editing; and Juan Montoya—his was the first real design
office that I worked in in New York City. When I witnessed what he did,
and how he did it, it empowered me to think that I too could do this on
my own!
And my first real client some 22 years ago—Michael
Kors. He has always had a commitment to quality, worked hard to
understand his customers and makes his clothing to make his customers
look good. He has stayed true to his vision, holding a steady course
through lots of wacky trends and through thick and thin—these
approaches translate perfectly to interior design.
What is your favorite color?
I
gravitate toward colors that are found in nature, and I don’t mean
English gardens! I generally shy away from bright “pure” colors—rather,
I find that I prefer earth tones, so even a red that I would likely use
would have some “earth” in it. With that said, I never say never. If
need be, I can find a reason to break stride!
What are some of the proudest experiences in your career?
I
would say that whenever my work has appeared in publications,
especially national publications and books, I am very proud. Most of my
work is private residential work, so for me it means that I have not
only pleased my client and myself, but I have passed through all of the
tastemaker gates of the design media to have my design work exist in
the public domain.
Tell us about your favorite/ideal customer?
Nice, educated, trusting, considerate, conscientious and appreciative. And if I am really fortunate, they have a great budget!
Do you have any professional pet peeves?
Don’t
get me started! However, I would say one of my biggest pet peeves is
pretense of any sort. It is a direct route to creating a soulless
project!
What is your most annoying weakness as a designer?
Most
certainly it would be technological challenges. I am probably from the
last generation who didn’t grow up with laptops in their backpacks. I
am grateful for the patience and assistance that my staff has with my
challenges!
What’s the one thing that keeps you up at night?
There
is very little that keeps me up at night. I give my best during my
waking hours, and when I go to sleep, I am typically out like a light
in preparation to start it all over again the next day!
What’s the coolest thing you ever put in one of your projects?
As a designer, my biggest thrills come from placing great art in projects. Do I really have to pick just one?!
Last
year I placed a fabulous 17th-century Italian table—period
Renaissance!—into a very large country home in upper Westchester. It is
a strong piece, albeit understated, with an incredible patina. It is
not in a showy location, and not everyone can recognize what it is, but
I know, and that is all that matters!
Another highlight would be
placing a very large and dramatic Auguste Rodin bronze of a headless
male torso in the foyer of a fantastic duplex apartment in New York
City—it looks like it belongs there!
What is your favorite place on earth?
I
still have a lot of the earth to discover, but I would say that one of
my favorite experiences has been the water taxi from the airport in
Venice into the Grand Canal. It is a thrilling and transformative
experience into another world!
What was your most difficult design challenge? How did you resolve it?
Trying to work with a client who turned out to be truly psychotic. How did I resolve it? I fired her!
The
second biggest challenge was working with an unappreciative and
underhanded banker in New York City. How did I resolve it? I fired him!
What learning experience has had the most impact on you?
Attending
the Rhode Island School of Design, hands down! I had heard of the
school when I was in a high school art class in Wisconsin at the age of
15. I went through a circuitous process of getting there that included
two years at a big ten university and two years at a work-study program
in Architecture in Boston, but when I finally found myself in
Providence (at that point only the second person to attend the school
from Wisconsin) going to school with incredibly talented and motivated
students, in a gorgeous New England city, I truly thought that I had
died and gone to heaven! I remain very involved with RISD to this day
and am always trying to find new ways to give back to the school that
gave me so much!
How long is your typical workday?
9am
until 6:30 or 7pm. I like to start my day with a double espresso,
exercising at the gym, having a good breakfast and jumping into the
fire! I typically take a short lunch—mostly for sustenance—and go full
tilt until I run out of the office to be with my family. I don’t work
weekends except on very, very rare occasions. I need to replenish
myself!
