This article original appeared in the March 1975 issue of Architectural Digest.
Barbara Walters is almost subliminally famous in a way that has only become possible in the twentieth century. Her electronic presence is part of the morning ritual in millions of homes across the country, and the energy and charisma she projects have made her very much of a personality in her own right.
Recently Miss Walters moved into one of those discreet old New York buildings which are so favored by those in the limelight for their unostentatious elegance and strategic location.
“Barbara and I are old friends,” says designer Burt Wayne, a relaxed and urbane man who has the kind of supportive and intelligent personality so necessary when dealing with people with demanding schedules—and with more than simply the problems of interiors on their minds. “Barbara has a grueling pace to keep up, and while she is intensely interested in everything around her, she simply didn't have as much time to spend on the details of her new home as, let us say, a more average client would have. Which is where I came in!”
Mr. Wayne, of Wayne and Doktor, Ltd., is emphatic enough when it comes to explaining his design philosophy. “There are several important factors. Most important is knowing your client well enough to wait until he or she is ready for change,” he says firmly. “A unified sensibility is absolutely vital, of course, and a certain tenacity as well. I think it's terribly important for clients, who after all are often spending large amounts of money, to be educated in a visual way. I expect them to be interested in how an eighteenth-century chair can be made to work in a modern environment. On the other hand, a designer has to take into full account the taste and personality of the client. I always keep reminding myself that design is really a service business, and that my role is to ensure that the client is happy—and functioning in the environment I have created. This apartment was a particular challenge, because Barbara is such a complex and productive human being with so many different needs, and we were obliged to provide for them all.”
Each room of her apartment is a smooth blending of the Wayne ideal and Miss Walters's own preference for objects with personal associations. “Take the living room, for example. I worked with a lot of Barbara's things. The rug comes from Iran—she bought it when she went there to interview the Shah—and the pots and cups on the coffee table are objects from Moshe Dayan's own collection of antiquities, which he gave her. On the other hand, the gray walls, the black-and-white motif on the sofas are my concepts. You see, it's all in how you hold it together. In this case, such serene classics of modern design as the chairs by Charles Eames and Mies van der Rohe become very important. They are the touchstones in a room. And they do add the gracenotes of timelessness which give a rich dimension to design.”