Looking right at home at Louis

The first floor of Louis Boston, with its oh-so-elegantly displayed dishware, candles, pillows, and anything else you might covet for your home, was the perfect setting for an event last Saturday celebrating the release of the book "Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy" by the folks at the stylish Domino magazine. While a DJ played an unobtrusive, lounge-y mix and the amiable, black-clad waitstaff circled with hors d’oeuvres and prosecco, Style Spy chatted with some of the more stylishly attired attendees. - AMI ALBERNAZ

Residence: Charlestown (by way of São Paulo, Brazil)
Occupation: Interior designer
You don't look 53. I would have guessed 35. Fifty-three and everything is original! You have to put that in.
I love your dress. Who is it? You'll have to check yourself; I'm not sure. (Note: A check reveals it is Biya.) It was a gift from my dear boyfriend. It came from a boutique in upstate New York. It took three trips to the store before I got it. It had to be mine.
Is your boyfriend Brazilian, too? No, he's very American. He lives in California. He's an organic grower of mushrooms, the ones you eat.
What would you be doing right now if you weren't here? I'd be helping a friend redo her home in Winchester.

Residence: The Fenway
Occupation: Jazz guitarist
I thought I detected an accent. Did I? No, I'm American. But I grew up in California.
How do you like Boston? It's very comfortable, very livable. I travel a lot, and this city is home.
What brings you here today? My girlfriend (gestures toward a nicely dressed blonde, J.R. Farel), is a design student. We got an e-mail about it.
Your outfit is very stylish. Who are you wearing? This is all Zara. Levi's jeans. The shoes are from a small store in England. (Farel pulls up Lage's sleeve to reveal his watch.) Oh, this is a vintage Baume & Mercier. You found me on a good day.
When you're not playing your own music, what do you like to listen to? A lot of bluegrass. Bjork. And classical - especially Russian composers. I like Stravinsky, for example.

Residence: Savannah, Ga.
Occupation: Owner of DC4 Design (a kitchen and bath design firm)
What brings you to Boston? I'm here on business. My wife and I were here all this past week.
How did you hear about this event? My wife is an interior designer. She's a Domino subscriber.
Your outfit is pretty sharp. Who are you wearing? I'm pretty low-key and not very fashionable. I think it's pretty much all Banana Republic. (Dickson's wife, Amy, interjects: "You're covered with lint balls.") The vest is Banana Republic. The jeans are Banana Republic. The shoes are from a design factory for Skechers in California. They're awesome. They're very comfortable.
What's been the highlight of your stay here? We had lobster at Grill 23 and really liked it. It sounds kind of cliché. We're big blue crab people.

Residence: Back Bay
Occupation: Sales for MaxMara
That's a great suit. Who is it? Paul Smith.
What brought you in here today? (gestures toward his boss, Kelly Kavalier) We were just walking around and decided to see what was going on.
What would you be doing if you weren't here? I'd be working. (Kavalier interjects: "Or you'd be riding your motorcycle.")
What kind of motorcycle do you have? A BMW Cruiser.
What was the last good movie you saw? I've been so busy that I haven't really had time to see anything. The last movie I saw was about two or three years ago. It was with Sean Penn. . . "Mystic River?" Oh, "The Departed." (Without Sean Penn.)
Where do you like to eat in the city? We really like Bin 26 in Beacon Hill. We go there a lot.

Residence: Manhattan
Occupation: Public relations
What do you think of Boston? It's exciting because I don't get to travel much. Most of our clients are in New York. . . This store is so amazing. It's better than Bergdorf, better than a lot of places in New York.
I love your outfit. The black and gold together are eye-catching. The dress is Aqua, and I'm wearing a little Free People jacket over it. The shoes are Stuart Weitzman. They don't look it, but they're very comfortable. The necklace came from Barneys. I don't know who the designer is, but I just love it.
Do you read Domino? I do read Domino a lot. It offers a lot of affordable options for home decorating that you wouldn't find in other magazines. Take Vogue, for example there's not much you can do there if you're on a budget.
What home improvement is at the top of your list right now? I'd like a funkier-looking wine rack. I love wine, and right now my wine is all over the place.
Best movie you've seen recently? "Sex and the City." I just love it. It's iconic, it's fashion, it's everything you live for. I know it's not realistic, but it makes you think that everything is possible.

Residence: South Boston
Occupation: Showroom manager at the Boston Design Center
That's a very pretty sweater. Who is it? It's BCBG.
Your necklace is great, too. Thank you. I made it.
What brought you here today? I'm a Domino subscriber.
What other magazines do read? For work, I read Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful. At home, I'm partial to cooking magazines.
Do you cook? Yes, mostly Italian. My family is Italian.
What would you be doing today if you weren't here? I'd be making jewelry for the Roslindale Open Studios. It's in a couple of weeks.
Have you been making jewelry for long? I've only been doing it for a couple of years. I have some pieces at L'Attitude [Gallery] on Newbury Street.
What's in your iPod right now? Nothing. I need my niece to help me with my iPod. I can't figure it out.

Residence: Somerville
Occupation: IT support at Boston University
I love your outfit. It's classy, kind of edgy. Who's the jacket? I have no idea, but you can check. (Upon checking, we find it is Ms. Alliage.) I got it in the suburbs.
The earrings are very elegant. Thanks. I bought them at the MFA. I'm a member.
What brings you here today? My sister is in design. That's how we heard about it.
What would you be doing if you weren't here today? I'd be doing laundry.
What's your favorite place to eat in the area? I like Gargoyle's on the Square. The bartender, Paul, makes great drinks. . . I tell everyone to go there.

Residence: Manhattan
Occupation: Style director at Domino magazine and co-author of "Domino: The Book of Decorating"
That's a lovely fall outfit. Who are you wearing? The top is Burberry, the skirt is J. Crew, and the shoes are Philip Lim. It's a real Domino outfit, high and low.
What would you be doing if you weren't here today? I'd be with my family. I'd be at my son's soccer game. I have a 5-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl.
What was the last good movie you saw? The last movie I saw in the theater was "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." Isn't that sad? It's an amazing movie, though. But you know what, I recently I saw "All The President's Men" through video on demand. The Washington Post offices are so beautiful, with the Smith Corona typewriters and the green file cabinets. . . I know [the movie] is not really known for that, but I couldn't help but notice.
What do you read besides Domino? That's a good question. I read all the decorating magazines. I love Vogue Living (Australia). In terms of other magazines, I read them all. . . I like Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Scientific American.
Do you have a scientific background? I was a biology minor in college. I still think about becoming a nurse.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, the Style Spy column in the Oct. 30 g section misidentified Kelly Kavalier. She is Amir Zoka's boss.