By Zachary Schwartz
Litchfield County is a destination for waterski summers and winter ski winters, a land of bountiful produce, verdant vineyards, and trout-stocked lakes. For a growing cohort of migratory aesthetes and zeitgeist curators, Litchfield County is a new frontier for American design.
Inspired by resident artists of the 20th century, influential magazine editors, and flourishing design hubs in New Preston and Kent, decorators and artisans are flocking to town. One such recent creative transplant is Schuyler Samperton. Trained under interior designer Michael Smith in Los Angeles, Samperton now calls Litchfield home. She runs two businesses from her recently purchased Litchfield residence: an interior design firm and a textile studio.
On an East Coast happenstance sojourn to Lakeville last year, Samperton was struck by the natural beauty and convivial lifestyle. She impulsively put an offer on a home that subsequently fell through, but the gravitational pull of the region was unrelenting for the Los Angeles-based designer. In early 2022, she acquired her home, a 19th century farmhouse within walking distance to the town of Litchfield, including a barn and loft serving as her design lab.
A major draw to Litchfield for Samperton was its hive of designers. “One of the things I love about being here is that so many people in my community are here doing the same thing, people that I’ve admired and known for years…Everybody is so collaborative and friendly with each other. It feels really warm and inspiring here,” says Samperton.
Since moving to Litchfield and joining its design community, Samperton has steered towards a more subtle color palette, in keeping with tones that may patina a historic Litchfield home. The common thread of Samperton’s decorating aesthetic is reflecting her clients’ personalities. She thoughtfully fuses comfort with homeowners’ personal taste to reflect memories and individuality. “I don’t like things to look like a decorator walked in and did the entire thing. And I definitely like the illusion of things evolving over time,” says the designer.
Her fabrics business maintains an equally fortified point of view. Inspired by antique Indian textiles, her mother’s vintage silk scarves, and her father’s patterned pocket squares, Samperton has developed a repository of textiles, wallpapers, and performance fabrics available for purchase. “I want to add something a little bit exotic, and very much about color and pattern, but rooted in history. I’m drawn to 19th century French, English, or Indian, and a little left of center.”
Her textiles are fabulously monikered, with names like Mamounia, Shalimar, and Floriana, and colors like saffron, cornflower, and moonraker. Each descriptor possesses a personal connection to the designer, creating a vocabulary for fanciful floral and textured motifs.
While Schuyler Samperton is a newcomer to the county’s design arena, her potential influence is infinite. With her keen eye and kaleidoscope of textiles, it’s only a matter of time before this bicoastal designer weaves her designs into the fabric of Litchfield’s homes, hotels, and restaurants.
