My jaw dropped when I first saw Robin Hill, the 1929 Colonial estate owned and designed by John Saladino,” says D.J. Carey, editorial director of C&G Media Group, recalling the time when, as a young editor, she arrived to shoot the designer’s spectacular house and gardens in Norfolk, Connecticut.

John Saladino pioneered the concept of “modernized antiquity” and popularized a palette of watery blues, pinks, and purples, while filling his interiors with always-fresh pairings of rough and refined furnishings and textures. Being in one of his rooms is a beautiful, interesting, and magical experience, and D. J. particularly remembers that John treated her and the camera crew to lunch on his terrace, at a table set with a mix of china and peeled grapes (!), overlooking his flower garden.

In his book Van Day Truex: The Man Who Defined Twentieth-Century Taste and Style, author Adam Lewis states that Truex, the former director of design for Tiffany & Co., praised John’s “remarkable eye for color” and interiors infused with “the aura of a Renaissance painting.” While countless designers have emulated his old/new approach, it’s important to keep in mind that John created his signature look more than 30 years ago. That is his genius, and the reason he is receiving the 2015 Innovator Award at the third annual NYC&G Innovation in Design Awards in New York this month: John has truly changed the face of interior design.

Join us on September 16 at 583 Park Avenue as we award both John and the best design projects in our region. To see more of John’s work, go to saladinostyle.com. See you at the IDAs!