Jean Liu
photo by Douglas Friedman
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? In the winter, Park City, Utah; in the summer, East Hampton. Can you tell I’ve thought this through?
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Art centric
2. Modern
3. Considered
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? It was a stripped down 70s style bedroom with shag carpet, orange peel white walls, and very brown furniture with overly burnished brass hardware. My mother ran a tight ship and refused to let us a hang poster, paint our walls, or upgrade our furniture. I think part of me was always (and probably still is) trying to go against this grain, which is one of the many reasons I’m obsessed with and pursuing interior design.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? My first major piece was the Steinway baby grand I found at an estate sale. In typical fashion, I grew up playing the piano and hating it. But the idea of not having one in my house seemed foreign, so when I spotted this baby grand at a local estate sale, I went for it. It also didn’t hurt that it played liked a dream—that’s how I justified the purchase.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? You for my Park Avenue apartment with Central Park views; Vincent Van Duysen for my Hamptons hideout; Ralph Lauren for my Park City ski chalet.
No room is complete without a good playlist.
People think of me as calm and laid back, but I am really a closeted Type A maniac.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Roses
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Anything that takes more than one bite to eat. So awkward while talking to a group of people, particularly strangers.
A bar cabinet: These days, nothing. Who can afford to do that?!
A song for:
Dinner at home: “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb”
Working at your desk: Mozart’s Requiem in D minor
Going for a run: “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder
Biggest Vice? Binge watching Netflix at night. It’s become the only way to turn off my mind before bed.
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Sol y Sombra, Georgia O’Keefe’s former residence in Santa Fe, which is currently on the market. Thank God there’s no “Buy It Now” button for that! LOL.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? I’m really into everything by Sacai these days because I love the asymmetric and dynamic use of fabric. It is quite modern and sculptural while managing to be comfortable and functional. These are the same qualities and ways in which I hope a room comes together for a client.
Who is your star crush? Adele
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Hang artwork on the styles of bookshelves. It always feels like a mistake or an after thought but I admit I like the way they look when someone else does it.
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? David Hicks “Scrapbooks”
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Having been a modern and accurate interpretation of the families and lifestyles of my clients.
photo by Lisa Petrole
A Few Favorites:
Movie: It’s Complicated
Book: “Personal History” by Katherine Graham
Scent: Premier Figuier by L’Artisan Parfumeur
The fabric you always come back to: Anything by Zak + Fox
Dream project: A boutique hotel or a vineyard in Napa Valley
Meal: If calories don’t count, it’s dinner at the Tango Room in Dallas where I start with the caviar trifle, followed by the Crudo, and the “Simon” (a bone in pork chop with chasseur sauce).
Drink: These days, it’s a tie between a Moscow Mule and a Chelsea Side Car
Hotel: Villa San Michele, where we got married
Travel Destination: Italy never gets old
Artist: John Currin
Thing to collect obsessively: Art, art, and more art
Era in the history of design: Midcentury Modern
Museum: Musee d’Orsay
Paint Color that always looks great: Slipper Satin by Farrow & Ball
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: @Elarroyo_atx
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs
