Amy Lau
Photo by Thomas Loof
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live?
I constantly dream about all the magical places I have visited, yet my soul goes to Oia in Greece.
Tell us about your childhood bedroom?
Hand-painted yellow and orange Mexican furniture, paired with green carpet. Because even then I knew—as we all know—that as a color-scheme, Desert Orange is everything!
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house?
I recently purchased an apartment in the historical Alwyn Court building that I am currently restoring. The incredible wood artisan Michael Coffey and I collaborated on a design for a hand-carved fireplace as the centerpiece for this space.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be?
Antonio Gaudi, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Mary Colter are all important influences on my work.
No room is complete without balance and harmony.
People think of me as vibrant and outgoing, but I am really a bit of a nerd.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement Raffia
An hors d’oeuvre platter American cheese
A bar cabinet Whiskey
A song for:
Dinner at home The Hôtel Costes Collection of CDs by Stéphane Pompougnac.
Working at your desk The Garth Stevenson station on Pandora.
Going for a run Anything by Sting.
Biggest Vice? Shoes.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? I absolutely love Stuart Weitzman’s boots.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Simple shapes with special detailing, always in incredible fabrics and interesting textures.
Who is your star crush? Sting
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? I like to try everything, if at all possible!
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be?
Expressive Modern: The Interiors of Amy Lau
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? I’d like my interiors to be known for their warmth, expressiveness, detail, and very special collaborations with artists and artisans.
Photo by Joshua McHugh
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Fiddler on the Roof
Book: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Scent: Un Jardin en Mediterranée by Hermes
The fabric you always come back to: After a trip to Istanbul and shopping at the Grand Bazaar, I am obsessed with velvet Ikats.
Dream project: A faded historic legacy hotel, with the mission of regenerating it by embracing the archival aspect, researching the original source to recreate accurate finishes and furnishings, and putting them against contemporary designs and materials. I am thinking, for instance, of Mary Colter’s Phantom Ranch – the guest lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon or the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
Meal: Authentic Mexican cuisine.
Drink: Silver tequila
Hotel: Hotel Dar Dhiafa in Djerba Tunisia
Travel Destination: Panera in the Aeolian Islands
Artist: Gio Ponti
Thing to collect obsessively? Every year I commission a piece from an artisan.
Timeless, collectable art pieces, such as white matte Op Art ceramics from the 60’s.Museum: The Neue Galerie on the Upper East Side.
Paint Color that always look great: Off white and pale gray.
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Wendy Goodman.
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs.
