One of the telling characteristics of a relationship is how well you travel together, Damon Myers explains. He recounts his first trip to San Francisco with his partner Efram Matagnob in 2013 and how seamlessly it went. Five years later, they’re still complementing each other in life and style at their home in Lancaster’s East Hempfield Township. Efram works long days as a physician/hospitalist at Wellspan in Lebanon. Damon works in the health system too, doing business intelligence and analytics for Mount Sinai in New York. Luckily, Damon telecommutes and is able to put his kitchen skills to good use as the chef of the household as well. After living abroad, then in Hawaii (where he added four-legged family member Hana to his life), then spending years New York City, he says one of the things he loves the most about Lancaster is shopping at market several times per week, buying everything fresh and rarely ever stepping into a big box store. He supplements his fresh produce trips with visits to Mandros Imported Foods, a local foodie fave tucked away on Lemon Street. When we sat down to talk about life, home, and design, he had just whipped up a lemon cake from a recipe he had seen that morning in the New York Times. Champagne flutes clinked and laughs ensued.
On a recent trip to France, Efram got Damon his first designer travel bag—a Moynat—which is ready and waiting in the foyer for their next adventure. Efram’s Louis Vuitton is ready too.
The couple clearly loves travel, art, and design. And collecting art on travels, which influences their décor and design.
In fact, the couple found colorful Brazilian artwork on their 2014 honeymoon in Miami that inspired the living room in their new home. They had already hired Lancaster designer Henrietta Heisler (henriettaheislerinteriors.com) to help with the living room, and she was able to work her magic around their artwork choices for the space—Eros (the god of love) and the three graces: beauty, mirth, and elegance. “She spent four hours looking at the art and the color book and how to incorporate it,” recounts Myers.
“We knew we loved bright colors,” says Matagnob, standing in their bright and eclectic living room. Orange is Damon’s favorite, which echoes throughout the home in designer Hermes’ signature shade. Efram’s favorite hue, blue, resounds as well. The walls are a cerulean colored custom plaster creation with flecks of gold by Tom Henman Decorative Painting (tomhenman.com). Ironically, when Heisler asked if there was a color to avoid, they both said “pink,” but the custom-made twin sofas that face each other with their unique, jewel-toned, squiggly-striped backing are decidedly “magenta,” they laugh. On the walls, the four colorful Romero Britto pieces from their honeymoon hang uniquely mounted in diamond-shaped frames.
On one side of the large picture window lounges Sunbather, a sculpture by an artist friend, Martha Sims of Athens, Georgia. In the center of the window, a custom seat was designed for one of the couple’s dogs, Lala (her name means “new member of the group” in Hawaiian), because she likes to sunbathe too. Beneath the window seat, the squiggly stripes of the sofas are echoed in the woodwork, and the seat and both sides are hinged for smart storage. It was a last minute addition by Heisler to the design, but the family loves its function.
“Of course we have to have a piano,” explains Matagnob, “because Damon’s degree is in music.” A classically trained baritone, Damon enjoys playing and singing for guests, with Efram at his gilded gold music stand as the couple performs duets during parties.
“Organic glam was the word that we came up with to capture the overall feel”, explains Myers. The natural wood base of the dining room table has a twisted driftwood feel, which is topped with an antiqued mirrored table top, also done by Henman. King chairs at the end of the table are backed in a vibrant, tropical Oscar de la Renta fabric which was originally planned for all of the chair backs, but at its budget breaking price point it became a beautiful focal point on the two chairs instead. Red beaded chandeliers in a row of three were Heisler’s suggestion to nod to Efram’s Asian culture.
One of their favorite features of the home is the Florida Room, which they plan to expand with a kitchen renovation, but for now, they love drinking their coffee nestled in the natural light and flora with the dogs in the mornings. Their other favorite coffee spot is the den, where the dogs cozy up with their daddies; it’s easy to see why, with the room’s enveloping feel. Dark walls in Sea Serpent by Sherwin Williams encapsulate the space while, soft textures like faux fur cover furniture made for lounging. Damon and Efram designed that space themselves with furnishings from Interiors Home. Shelves flanking the fireplace are filled with pictures and treasures collected from travels. Curated local art adds terroir and interest. Serene art by artist Marlin Bert on one wall. An original George Clark on another. A Jerry Hershey piece hangs in the hall as you enter the den. The foyer welcomes with a bright floral Suk Shuglie on a textured chartreuse wallpaper that reflects gold on some angles.
The home reflects all the gems collected along the couple’s journey together. Damon says, “it was kind of a no brainer when we found this house.” They loved the huge lot size with established landscaping, and the 1978 ranch style with four spacious bedrooms was more than enough for the couple. The in-laws’ quarters are perfect when Efram’s parents visit from the Philippines. The entertaining spaces are often filled with friends, good food, and flowing wine; and other times it’s cozy and quiet. The home, filled with heart, denotes a sense of place—past and present.
