Zatista’s contributing writer Katie Enna sat down with New York based designer Anthony Cochran to discuss some of his favorite art purchases, his insights on buying art online and enhancing beautiful and timeless interiors with art.

What is the first piece of art you ever purchased for yourself?

When I was working as a waiter at Tribeca Grill in the early ‘90s, one of my co-workers, Claude Martz, brought in some drawings he had done of a girlfriend. I thought they looked like Matisse and was so moved, I asked him to do a portrait of me. It only looks a little bit like me but it’s a very simple line drawing and is still one of my favorite pieces today.

Those first few art purchases can sometimes be the most daunting. Do you have advice for those who are starting out?

The first piece of art that you buy should be beautiful to you whether it be comical, clever, crazy, edgy, or cool. Art can and should make a statement, but just remember to ask yourself “Is it necessarily a piece I want to live with for the rest of my life?” When I buy a piece of art, I think, “Is this something I can’t live without?”

What inspires you when you walk into a client’s home? Where do you begin?

I find that most of my clients will at least have one piece of art or furniture that they are emotionally attached to. I’ll usually work from there and try to incorporate the client’s personality into the rest of the room. I often look to him or her directly for inspiration.

Buying online is obviously different from seeing a piece of art and falling in love with it in a gallery. What are your suggestions for those buying online and how did Zatista help you find the right pieces?

I love painting, so I started by choosing a medium. Then I searched by size, and then by price. Then maybe I’ll search for a specific color and work from there. The great thing about Zatista is that they do the looking for you, all the hard work is done.

If you had to decorate an entire room on one color palette what would it be?

Sky.

On Zatista we provide only original, one-of-a-kind pieces that can often require you to buy on an impulse seeing how they may not be around forever.  How do you make sure you don’t miss a great piece?

If you see a piece of art that literally moves you, and you can’t stop thinking about it for three or four hours, it’s probably something that you’ll love forever. I once found a small, Cezanne-like oil painting by Charles Sibley at a flea market. I walked away from it and thought about it all day long. I finally went back and bought it. The painting cost me $600, which was a lot of money for me, and for most people, but it’s one of those pieces that I know I’ll keep forever.

More on Anthony Cochran:

Anthony’s design firm ACD is renowned for sleek yet comfortable interiors. He is also Cofounder and Creative Director of QCollection, a pioneer in high-end, environmentally friendly furniture, fabrics and home accessories.

Prior to QCollection and ACD, Anthony served as Senior Style Editor for Martha Stewart Living and worked with a variety of other influential design firms including Victoria Hagan Interiors, Stephen Mallory Associates and John Saladino Inc.