Reliable Source: 5 Minutes with celebrity interior designer Michael Smith

We admit it: Peets was a bad choice. When grabbingacappuccinowith celebrity interior designer Michael Smith theman responsible for the Ovals 2010 makeover, the 2008 redo of the private quarters of the White House, and the placesCindy Crawford,Rupert Murdoch, and Michelle Pfeiffer call home one does not suggest the neighborhood coffee shop.

Come to the Hay Adams, Smith sayson a recent Monday morning.Hes in town for the next 24 hours and then its off to New York, then maybe back to his home base in Los Angeles, and finallyto Madrid, where Smith lives 10 days out of the month with his partner,James Costos,theUnited States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra.

We caught up with Smith to chat about his famous clients (well, we chatted, he nodded) and how being the consort of an ambassador is akin to having a double identity. Comparisons to superman happened.

Okay, where do you actually live? Like where does your mail go?

I have to think about it. Hmm, where doI live? Well, I say I live in L.A. because my dogs are in L.A. I kind of live a lot on planes. Now, I know all the flight attendants.I just invited these two amazing flight attendants withAmerican Airlines tothe embassy.

That sounds interesting.

Theyre best friends and so senior that they get to fly the Europeanroutes, including Madrid. So, I said, Hey, come to the embassy. I think they thought I was completely like not for real. But they came and they were super excited. But what a sweet American story.

Whatsyourdouble life like as the partner of an ambassador?

Myactual translation is consort of the American ambassador, which is kind of hilarious. Look, Spain hashad marriage equality since 2005, so all the growing pains of that have been worked out. If I had never given a dinner before then yes maybe it would be a stretch. But the reality is thats something Ive always found very relaxing and fun. In L.A. I give probably two or three dinners a week.Thats an easy template to apply to an embassy.

Ambassador James Costos (L) and partnerMichael Smith (R) during the annual Foreign Ambassadors reception at the Royal Palace on January 21, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

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Reliable Source: 5 Minutes with celebrity interior designer Michael Smith