When I was going to New York last November, George Terbovich said, “You should meet Mel Dwork.”
When I had the great pleasure of meeting Mitch Owens he said, “You must know Mel Dwork?” Mr. Dwork is a native Kansas Citian and one should suppose that we would know one another. That is how things work around here.
When I was ohhing and ahhing over the work of Roy Hamilton on the same trip he said, “I am good friends with Mel Dwork.” And I thought, “Why the heck am I not?”
So on this trip I was thrilled to meet this incredibly talented and recognized designer.
Melvin Dwork left Kansas City when he was 19. He had received a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute. “The Nelson was my classroom; it had a tremendous impact on me.” He moved to New York to attend Parsons. He still considers himself a Kansas Citian though he has spent sixty-seven of his eighty-six years in New York. I like that in a guy.
Dwork’s work has been featured in magazines including House & Garden, Architectural Digest, Interior Design and the New York Times.
On top of all that he’s incredibly lovely.
He is still working with select clients.
You can find out more about Mr. Dwork from his profile in the Interior Design Hall of Fame here and read an interview from the Times here.
Image, top, from House Beautiful, October, 1967 via the Peak of Chic; the following four images from Interior Design; the striped dining room is from House and Garden’s Complete Guide to Interior Decoration, 1970, the room with the Mondrian inspired rug is from House and Garden’s Complete Guide to Interior Decoration, 1960, the following two images are of Dwork’s Shelter Island Home and the final is his NYC apartment featured in the New York Times, photography by Michael Falco.
How wonderful to have met a fellow Kansan and lover of shelter. Now that I would call an alignment of the stars. Wonderful work, chic and sensible.
How lucky that you got to meet him Patricia!! I'm a HUGE Melvin Dwork fan…but seeing that I don't know him I call him Melvin, not Mel 😉
i love his space,it is unpretentious and feels like he has surrounded himself with pieces that evoke a life of timeless travel.
How cool is that? There are no longer six degrees of separation!
Very talented man.
I'm so glad you posted about Melvyn Dwork – one of my favorites but hardly known in the blogosphere. You pipped me at the post – he was/is one of my choices for later this week.
I love his work; really international in scope. Amazing to be working at his age. Must be a stimulating person to know. Thanks for sharing.
Yes I have seen and red earlier an article of Mel. I think it was in Architectural Digest!
Great designer to me!
Greet
The room with the Mondrian-esque rug juxtaposed with the directoire chair (i'm guessing?) is so striking.
I loved it increasingly with each shot, oh those white chairs…
It seems it was fate you finally met! Thanks for introducing me to a Hall of Famer I wasn't yet familiar with!
XX Kate "the NEO-trad"
What a small little world! The Maguire in Dwork-Maguire was my dad 🙂 Funny how lives intersect in places you least expect! Brownyn