Page 61 - Damianos Sotheby's International Realty Magazine Vol. 3

BY DESIGN FORM MEETS FUNCTION
WHEN AN
AUTOMOBILE
BECOMES ART
By Kristen Thompson
WE TALK TO AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGNER ERIC COHLER ABOUT HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH CAR DESIGN
If modern luxury and classic elegance are the hallmarks of Eric Cohler’s stunning interior and furniture designs, it’s no surprise that’s exactly what he looks for when he gets behind the wheel.
“I’m a bit of a car nut, and I like the fusion of cars and interior design and architecture,” admits Cohler, an award-winning Man- hattan-based designer whose distinctive style blends elements of the contemporary with the classic.
His current rides? An old Mercedes convertible and a brand- new Porsche Macan.
“That’s one of the reasons I went into design,” he says. “One of my dreams was to design the interior of cars.”
Beautiful cars are in Cohler’s blood. His grandmother learned to drive in a 1912 Rolls Royce. Recently, he designed a car barn for a cli- ent who collects Corvettes.
“I kitted it out like a drive-in movie theatre, so he can have movie nights with his wife,” says Cohler, who confesses that he wouldn’t mind having a car barn of his own. “The idea came to me as there was a restaurant called Auto Pub in New York when I was a kid. You’d sit indoors in the back half of vintage cars while eating dinner and watch movies on a large screen. It made quite an impression.”
We chatted with Cohler to find out how his love for design translates into the automotive and what this car buff looks for in his
perfect ride.

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