1979 Rose Tarlow starts Melrose House— the beginning of her fabled antiques and furnishing empire. She does only a few interiors projects—David Geffen and Barbara Walters are two of her clients but she’s as famous for the commissions she rejects as those she accepts (she notoriously turned down Bill and Melinda Gates). Her style is understated and classic and she easily mixes Georgian and Scandinavian modern, always using the very best of everything.