Arthur King Satz Lecture: Michael Simon

The Arthur King Satz Lecture, which highlights the intersection of Design and the Humanities, will feature interior designer Michael Simon.

Michael Simon is an acclaimed New York–based interior designer, furniture creator, and collector. Trained as a composer under the legendary Stephen Sondheim and John Corigliano, he pursued classical music at Carnegie Mellon University and the Manhattan School of Music before turning to design, a transition that continues to shape the structure and intention behind his work. His design philosophy is shaped by his musical training, drawing on principles of composition and structure that he has long described as “composing rooms.”​

He founded Michael Simon Interiors in 1995. As a boutique practice, his studio’s work extends across the United States and internationally, shaped by his close work with craftsmen and the techniques that inform each project. Renowned for his mastery of the decorative arts, Simon’s work has been widely published in books and leading design magazines.​

His expertise is grounded in decades of independent study, including archival research at Scalamandré and a long engagement with design history and literature. Simon is also committed to historic preservation, serving on the board of Edith Wharton’s The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts, and consulting on projects including Manhattan’s Morris-Jumel Mansion.​

He has lectured for The Society of the Four Arts, Hillwood Estate, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, where he will speak for the Houston chapter in March 2026. Across his practice, he remains committed to mentorship and to the continued study of the classical tradition.