The Collection of Peter van Hattum & Harold Simmons

NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle is honored to present property from the Collection of Peter van Hattum and Harold Simmons, founders of the celebrated design firm Van Hattum & Simmons. Their remarkable collection comprises approximately 150 lots of furnishings and artwork from their elegant home in East Hampton.

Born in Utrecht, Netherlands, Peter van Hattum (1932-2022) developed an early passion for music and theatre. He began performing on stage in the Netherlands before arriving in New York, where he was cast as Rolf in the first national tour of The Sound of Music and later joined the Broadway cast starring Mary Martin. In 1962, his life would change forever.

In Mr. van Hattum’s words, “I was in The Sound of Music at the time and was on my way to Mary Martin’s party at the Waldorf-Astoria after the show. I stopped at a bar, where I met a friend who introduced me to Harold. He was 22, had just come to the city, and didn’t yet know anybody. We’ve been together ever since.” The pair were married in 2012.

Born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Harold Simmons (1939-2014) graduated cum laude from Ole Miss and began his design career working for the Memphis design firm of Kimbrough-Goldate before heading to New York to attend Parsons School of Design. Upon graduating from Parsons, where he specialized in Interior Architecture, he joined the architectural firm of Alfred Easton Poor. The following year went to work for Albert Hadley as his assistant. Mr. Simmons remained at Parish-Hadley for 21 years, eventually heading the firm’s design studio and its team of architects.

During this time, Mr. van Hattum was pursuing his own career in interior design, growing a thriving business that Mr. Simmons joined in 1987, thus the firm of Van Hattum & Simmons was born. Over the 25 years they were in business together, they designed embassies and residences in New York, Washington, DC, and London, among other locations, as well as participated in numerous Kips Bay Decorator Show Houses and Southampton Decorator Show Houses.

Mr. Simmons and Mr. van Hattum first visited East Hampton in 1974 and eventually built an elegant home of their own design, the contents of which will be offered in the Doyle at Home auction on December 20.

Doyle at Home

Auction Wednesday, December 20 at 10am
Exhibition December 16 – 18

View lots from The Collection of Peter van Hattum & Harold Simmons