Interview with John Bartlett and John Esty
Bartlett and Esty’s Design on a Dime vignette and Bartlett enjoying the opening night party.
Design on a Dime is in full swing! For our final blog post, we have an interview with amazing Housing Works stalwart and donor, fashion designer John Bartlett, and his partner John Esty, the man behind John Esty Fine Custom Framing. They chatted with journalist David Boyer about their Design on a Dime vignette, making a killing on vintage finds, and the thrill of working with your partner.
Times are tough for people who make a living selling beautiful things. Do you find your clients are looking for ways to save more these days?
John Bartlett:
I’m definitely finding customers taking more time and not buying on a whim. Looking at something and coming back again.
John Esty:
In my business it’s more about quality and not quantity. Perhaps they’re framing two pieces instead of five pieces.
Leading to my next question: What are some easy ways people can “Design on a Dime”?
Bartlett:
It’s really about loving what you have and finding some interesting things you can collect that have a lot of color but aren’t expensive. Also, invest your money in preserving your art. Protect the things you have and maintain them. And put a little back into the economy; it’s important to put a little bit out there and feed the economy.
Esty:
The internet is a great source for furniture and home accessories. Spend time researching and see what’s out there. And the price listed is not necessarily the price paid. Be aggressive and go after the price you want. If something is listed for $3,000 on 1stdibs.com, one shouldn’t be afraid to offer $1,800.
And of course go to Housing Works Thrift Shops! What’s the best thrift shop find you ever scored?
Bartlett:
I found a really beautiful Frank Gehry cardboard chair in a tiny town outside Rhinebeck. They didn’t know what they had. I bought it for $120 and resold for $1,500.
Esty:
I’m obsessed with Burmese Mountain dogs. And I bought an early 19th century, wood-burning drawing of a Burmese Mountain dog for $60.
So tell me, what’s your DOD room vignette all about this year?
Esty:
Our thought process is, what we are best at? I do framing and John does clothing. And we’re working with Jayne Baum, a well-known gallerist: many of her well-known artists are donating art and I’m doing museum quality framing, the best of the best. And [John Bartlett] will be showing his clothing. We’ll share a similar color aesthetic.
Bartlett:
This is our first project together as a couple—and it’s a great collaboration.
Let’s switch gears—what’s one of the most insane demands a client has made on you?
Bartlett:
I had one guy who bought a pair of grey flannel jeans. He came in for 4 fittings. I paid more for the tailoring than he did on the garment. I learned that if they like it the way it fits and we can make small tweaks, that’s great. But if they want me to remake a garment…I’ve learned not to try to fit a circle in a square.
Esty:
I don’t really let people put demands on me. I established my shop as if I created a sandbox. My sandbox is fun to play in. You don’t have to play in my sandbox. But if you do, it’s by my rules.
What are some style trends that you can’t stand at the moment?
Bartlett:
Shabby chic; clutter; lots of books that nobody’s read on a bookshelf; trying to make it look like your in a English cottage but your apartment’s on 14th Street. I like rooms spare, and combos of old and new. Anything that takes itself too seriously—same as in fashion—is a real turn off.
Esty:
Trends are disposable. And in this day and age, it’s not about disposable. It’s about finding things that are timeless and something you’re going to live with for a long time and that says something about you and means something to you.
What does participating in Design on a Dime mean to you?
Bartlett:
Sometimes the format of a fundraiser can be really predictable. But with Design on a Dime, we get to create something. With Design on a Dime, we can donate and get the thrill of creating something. And I’ve always loved Housing Works and how they’ve developed a new way to raise money. And I love how they present products. They’re competitive with Barneys in how they present their windows.
Esty: We’re partners, lovers, and it’s really important to us to give back to this world. Any organization that we feel we can successfully contribute to, we do. And the collaborative effort is quite magical.
