Janie Molster

photo by Gordon Gregory

If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? We are lucky enough to summer in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I love the steady, stiff breezes and the beautiful and turbulent surf. But by early August the humidity is growing thick and I long to visit another favorite spot, Nantucket Island. Preferably, my house would be in town--a close walk for coffee, newspapers, and people watching. I would love something historic on a quiet street, surrounded by blue hydrangeas and wrapped with pink climbing roses.

What are three words to describe your style? 1. Pretty 2. Livable 3. Layered

Tell us about your childhood bedroom? My Mother let me get involved on this, bless her heart. I must have been around 11 or 12. I chose red shag carpeting and red and white checked gingham fabric for the curtains and dust ruffle. The curtains were fabricated like the "Dorothy's Ruffled Originals" ad I had spotted in the back of a magazine. I had a mahogany 4-poster bed covered with a handmade patchwork quilt. I remember the long drive with my Mother to the quilter’s house to pick up the bedcover. The house sat alone in the middle of a field and was the first house we'd seen for miles. I was thrilled and loved all of it.

What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house?
A chinoiserie-style red secretary. I was in my late 20's and went to a local pop-up antiques show. Three women had banded together and traveled to Europe to buy a container of antiques. I suspect the pop-up was to fill out the container with extras to cover their own purchases. The secretary was a real value in hindsight and lives in my foyer today.

In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? John Saladino

No room is complete without artwork.

People think of me as extravagant, but I am really practical.

Things you omit from:
1. A flower arrangement: Lilies (I have ruined too many of my clothes from the
pollen)
2. An hors d’oeuvre platter: Stinky cheese
3. A bar cabinet: Crème de Menthe (I hope most readers have never had to taste
it. Think bad medicine past its prime.)

A song for:
1. Dinner at home: Bad Self Portrait, Lake Street Dive 

2. Working at your desk: 24 Frames, Jason Isbell

3. Going for a run: Under Pressure, Queen

Biggest Vice?I love my bed...probably too much. Sometimes I declare a mental health day and stay in bed. Other people, like children, husbands, etc. are welcome to join in but I stay put.

If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? I want one of everything on the Ibu Movement's website. It's a feel good purchase (especially while on Ambien) as products are created by women artisans to lift them from poverty and preserve their native crafts. I would also buy rugs, mainly Moroccan. There's no particular website for these. I would troll through my regular vendors, then Etsy dealers, and also buy direct from weavers posting on social media.

Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how?
Yes, I think so. While I don’t mind looking sporty and I love comfortable athletic wear, it’s a quick turn-around for me to morph into cocktail and evening garb. It’s that in- between that I struggle with...an outfit or room that is purposefully dressed down. I want every room and every outfit to be one step away from party-ready.

Who is your star crush? Major girl crush on Sienna Miller.

What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do? A fabric draped side table or foyer table. I may toss an interesting textile across a table but in my early design years, I viewed a round table, draped to the floor with fabric, as a designer cop-out; i.e., they didn't try hard enough to find the right table so it was an easy fix. Now I see draped tables with interesting trim and dressmaker details and I know someone has worked hard on it...but I can't do it.

If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? Simplicity by Nancy Braithwaite

For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? I would like to be known for creating happy and evolved interiors that make living in a beautiful home something that seems accessible and attainable. There's the Southern part of me that also wants a home to be welcoming and gracious...interesting but not so esoteric to make guests feel uncomfortable. I strive to make a home reflect the best self of the inhabitants...my clients living their best life.

photo by Gordon Gregory

A Few Favorites:

• Movie: Vicky Christina Barcelona (somehow I missed this summer in my life)

• Book: The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

• Scent: After my daily bath I use Philosophy’s Amazing Grace Body Emulsion. It’s subtle and I am frequently complimented on my “perfume”.

• The fabric you always come back to: Fortuny

• Dream project: A small boutique hotel on the beach in Southern California. Reasons: I don’t always get to experiment with my edgier inclinations and there’s no question that the left coast is more open to design experimentation than the right coast. In this hotel every bedroom would be completely unique. I have so many bedroom designs swimming around in my head—-I could exorcise my demons! The overall vibe of the lobby and public rooms would be hip and modern, and a little dressed-up for a beach hotel. Think a bikini with a silk Pucci caftan and sandals.

• Meal: All beef hot dog, chili, cheese, and French mustard.

• Drink: Kettle One Dirty Martini, up, olives.

• Hotel: I think of myself as a boutique hotel girl but I just returned from a stay at The Dorchester in London and I’m smitten. I love the old world glamour of the lobby, the luxurious rooms tricked out to the smallest detail, and the quietly attentive staff.

• Travel Destination: It’s always the last place I have been and I loved visiting Cartagena, Columbia earlier this year. It was my first trip and it made me want to visit again and explore more of Columbia.

• Artist: Sally Mann

• Thing to collect obsessively: Vintage glass and resin grapes from the 1960's and vintage textiles from Morocco, Turkey, and India.

• Era in the history of design: The 1970's. It was definitely a period of experimentation and irreverence but with an upbeat feeling.

• Museum: The Picasso Museum in Barcelona

• Paint Color that always look great: French Canvas by Ben Moore 

• Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Anouska Hempel

• Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? DOGS!!!!