

Among his options: working with a private-equity firm - and potentially alongside a "very large, very substantial" fund - to invest in distressed assets. Kanas wants to do "one more thing" before he fully calls it quits, though he has not yet decided what that will be.

"You can actually see the fish swimming through," Kanas said. His face lit up as he discussed the details, particularly the installation of a glass floor, offering a view of the stream that flows beneath the mill and out to the neighboring bay. The new digs are in a 200-year-old sawmill near Westhampton Beach in New York that Kanas bought and renovated. He began discussing the finishing touches on what will soon be Kanas' personal office, where he will spend time working on his next act in finance. The designer walked in carrying samples of flooring trim, a catalog of office chairs and renderings of an unfinished office space.
