Classic, But Make It Weird: A Conversation with Designer Bill Pimley
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Time to read 4 min
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Bill Pimley’s love of design started early — flipping through his father’s Architectural Digest magazines, dabbling in after-school art classes, and sketching ideas long before he knew where it might take him. That passion led him to the Rhode Island School of Design, where he initially pursued architecture before discovering a love for Interior Architecture — a path that would define his professional career.
After graduating, Bill moved to New York City and spent over a decade at Jed Johnson & Associates, a high-end interior design firm steeped in the city’s layered history and culture. There, he honed his craft working with luxury clients and learning the ins and outs of large-scale, detail-driven design.
Recently, Bill has begun his own practice, Pimley Co., while also exploring his burgeoning work as a painter. The following excerpt, lightly edited for clarity, captures our conversation about his journey, design philosophy, and the creative process that bridges his interiors and fine art.
I’m really curious how you developed your own style and how your style has evolved since you’ve begun working for yourself.
My style is very adaptable to my clients' needs. If a client comes to me, whether the scope is a bathroom or a full property, I ask, “What’s your dream for this space." From there, we can create something practical, livable, and beautiful. I work in the service industry. My goal is to serve the client. I want them to be happy in the space, to feel that it’s functional, and that’s the end goal.
How do you marry the aesthetic with the actual function of the space?
A well known adage states that “form follows function,” and I don't really agree with that. I often encourage clients to choose beauty for the sake of beauty.
On the other hand, take a dining chair. A normal dining chair is 18 to 20 inches wide, but if you want to sit there for long dinners with your friends, you'll probably want a larger chair. So, in my eyes it really is an equal partnership between form and function.
What other questions do you ask clients when you're trying to get a sense of how they live in their house?
It's a matter of, are you using the sofa every single day of your life? Are you watching Netflix on it? Are you eating food on it? Well if that's the case then let's not do a really high end mohair fabric. Let's look at some indoor outdoor fabrics that are washable and not going to stain. They're still going to have a high end look, but they're going be more practical.
A house is meant to be used and I think there are ways to patina a house. We can source some really nice options that will age well.
Design trends have really sped up as a result of social media. How do you feel about that?
I think there's a balance between being trendy and being a classicist. If you're designing the living room from scratch, I encourage my clients to think, "How can we make this living room last and how can we also give a little nod to the current time?" Things that are more permanent to the room, let's keep those classic - and then we can bring in interesting artwork and textiles to give a nod to the current trends. It's all about balance and it's a lot about scale at the end of the day.
When you're designing, how do you know when a space is finished?
It's never finished. I don't think they should ever be finished. I think that's the thrill of it all.
Are there any rules of design that you absolutely stick by and are there any common rules of design that you toss out the window?
I think about scale most often during the design process. Both in terms of the rules of scale...but then also how to approach those ideas with a fresh viewpoint. In terms of functionality, I like to push the bounds of proportions as much as I can. This is what I find brings a sense of surprise to the room.
A recent Hudson Valley cottage design project. Photo credit Kelli Galloway.
I'm curious where your fine art practice came into play. How long have you been painting for?
As I mentioned, I had an interest in art from an early age. Freshman year of art school I loved so much. If I could do freshman year at RISD for the rest of my life, I would. You're basically painting, drawing, or sculpting all day long. There's a couple art history classes in the mix, and I loved the whole process of it.
I did that program, moved to New York and then into the design world. And I hadn't really had a chance to get back into painting. Then when I quit my job last year to start my own company, Pimley Co., I moved to Provincetown - a place that's well loved as an art colony. I have a good friend, Martha, who's a fine arts painter and I always said, "I wanna paint, I wanna paint." She told me, "I'm gonna set you up on an easel and you're gonna paint looking at the coastline." We painted all afternoon and I knew, this is what I want to be doing with my time.
Clove & Creek is proud to offer design services through Pimley Co. For more information, click here.
Plein air set up looking over Provincetown Harbor this past summer.
