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| Sure, spectacular views are the real star of the show in Gabriel Hammond’s 19th-floor condominium. But Sherry Hayslip brought plenty of beauty inside with a sectional, leather chair with ottoman, and credenza all from Allan Knight & Associates. Hayslip found the painting at Craighead-Green Gallery. |
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| The elusive Gabriel Hammond. photography courtesy of Damon Winter /The New York Times/Redux |
Forgive Gabriel Hammond, if you will, for the Eric Clapton lyrics running through his mind as he heads out his front door: I just left home this morning. This old road keeps rolling on and on. Because the lyrical symbolism is at once perfect and wistful. Hammond, a 28-year-old financial industry star, returned from weeks in New York to Dallas, the place he calls home. Specifically, he returned to his “bachelor pad” at The Ritz-Carlton, if a term so uncouth can be employed, if only for dramatic effect, on a residence so elegant and tasteful. He had a conference call he hoped would conclude by 10:30 a.m. By 10 p.m. that evening, he was still on the phone, as well as sending e-mails apologizing to the people he’d promised to see that evening. Tomorrow, he said, would be no better: Unexpectedly, he would be flying to San Antonio first thing for more business meetings. Such is the peripatetic lifestyle of a single, successful hedge fund manager. Which means he didn’t even have time to confirm if he even really digs Clapton.
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| (left) In the dining room, Gabriel Hammond’s guitars mix with a round table and chairs from David Sutherland Showroom and ceramic bowls from Smink Inc. (right) In a sitting area off the kitchen, guests can relax in a leather chair from Baker Knapp & Tubbs (ottoman from E.C. Dicken, rug from Odegard). |
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| Gabriel Hammond’s formal dining room has been converted into a billiard room, complete with table from Golden West Billiards, a pub table from Design Within Reach, and bar chairs from Allan Knight & Associates. |
No matter. An insanely busy lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to careful fact-checking any more than it does refinishing a deck or tending to a flower garden. It’s why Hammond’s home reflects not only his youth, personality, and passions, but also his datebook.
These characteristics, says designer Sherry Hayslip, informed the decisions she made on Hammond’s residence. Much was largely based on his desire for his home to be enjoyed by family and friends. “While it’s beautiful,” Hayslip says, “it’s about how well he lives in the space.”
That’s why it is not a “formal” space. Take the formal dining room. In Hammond’s home, it is a billiard room, with room for friends to sit, quaff a cold adult beverage, and watch as bets are placed in dollar amounts befitting captains of industry. When everyone gets hungry, they move to the living room, which houses a beautiful table designed to accommodate sit-down dinners (as well as card games, of course).
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| The master bedroom is masculine thanks to the headboard from Allan Knight & Associates, side tables from George Cameron Nash, and ceiling fixture from Baker Knapp & Tubbs. The blue vase is by Harry Dean and available at Gardens. |
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| This sitting area provides the perfect respite from a busy day with leather chairs from Allan Knight & Associates (throw from Smink Inc.), a leather ottoman from The Bright Group, and a painting from Craighead-Green Gallery. |
Every decision was filtered through Hammond’s desire to indulge in “spontaneous, informal entertaining,” Hayslip says.
Hammond is young, but he’s already made a name for himself by making counterintuitive choices that pay off handsomely. Instead of getting his MBA, he started a $300 million hedge fund. Instead of making his guest room cramped, he made it spacious and beautiful, so his family would feel welcome when visiting. Instead of opting for the latest design fads, he chose modern art, dark woods, and luscious fabrics, giving his home a timeless feel.
Hammond’s passions are reflected throughout the residence. For example: He’s an avid guitarist, so his love for the instrument was incorporated into the design. The audio-visual system plays his music in any room he desires, and he can plug his amps into the same system when he himself is playing. Flanking the flat-screen TV in his living room are what appear to be framed prints of New York architectural icons but are, in fact, artfully hidden speakers. His guitars are displayed in a decorative vein, in custom-built cases that are easy to open should he need a particular ax for an impromptu Eddie Van Halen moment. Or perhaps some Eric Clapton. Difficult to say which he prefers. He’s a hard man to pin down.
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| (left) The master bathroom has a spa-like feel. (right) Who needs the neighboring Ritz – Hammond’s guest room boasts a bed from Design Atelier, bedside tables from Baker Knapp & Tubbs, chaise from The Bright Group, and chair from Donghia. |
