In the TZR franchise, internal motivesCelebrities and tastemakers discuss their unique approach to home design and how it reflects their personal aesthetics. Here, we sit down with designer Christian Siriano to discuss his Westport, Connecticut home that’s his escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City.
While many know him for his dramatic and luxurious dresses, Christian Siriano’s interior design skills are something to admire too. The escape project The star fashion house added décor last year, and for the designer, expanding the home’s space was a natural.
“I think now people realize when you’re stuck at home [for two years]Your home is your sanctuary,” Siriano tells TZR. “It’s everything you have. Especially in New York, when you get rid of the cool stuff [the city]It’s not an elegant place. It’s ugly and dirty. So, if you’re at home in your little apartment that you work so hard for, I think it should be a high place to feel good.”
And while a practical mix of affordable and luxury items is well-functional, the designer insists on investing wisely in your surroundings, especially the spaces that offer you the most comfort. For example: your bed. “Your bed should be one of the most precious and important things in your home because you should sleep in it every night,” Siriano says. “Your linens, your pillows. That’s what you should be spending your money on. This must be the coolest part of the room. Imagine, when you’re sick and not feeling well. Oh my God. All you want is the most comfortable bed in the world.”
Perhaps it was these feelings that brought life back to life at the stunning Westport in Siriano, Connecticut. The coastal property surrounded by nature is one of several homes, but it is definitely a favorite getaway due to the open and airy floor plan that offers great views of nature. (Word has spread rapidly in the elegant and modern home aesthetics in recent years, as featured in Architectural Digest and MTV’s family.)
Before that, Siriano is gaining poetic about his Connecticut complex, the one room he can’t get enough of, and his thoughts on how personal style and home interiors intersect.
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How would you describe your home in Westport?
What sets it apart is that it is always evolving. That’s what I love about it – it’s the kind of neutral blank canvas I use to display the things I love. I’m around color, texture, prints, and embroideries all the time in my normal day. So, this is really my Zen space to be calm and serene. I’m actually calmer in this space. it’s also [surrounded by] These huge stained glass windows, all immersed in the forest. I feel like I’m not in town anymore, and I’m really into nature. So, it feels really good.
Tell me about your favorite space in your home?
I would say my favorite place is the main living room space in my house in Westport. I think that’s because of the combination of art I love, which I’ve been collecting, and some custom furniture I’ve been designing. It is my place. There is no TV in that room. It’s really just a bunch of pretty things that I love.
I have a really nice golden palm tree that I probably bought 10 years ago, when I started to succeed in my career. I was like, “I’m going to buy a brass palm tree because I made it!” Just silly things like that.
How much time do you spend there?
It is a mixture. Sometimes, in the summer – I like Fridays in the summer – we try to spend the weekend there if we can. but sometimes, [we’ll go] In the middle of the week if you need to recharge. Or if I’m working on an internal project. I’m working on it in Connecticut, because my in-house business is somewhat based there. Believe me, I’d be there every day if I could.
Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or decor?
My God. I have a lot of things. I have a few of my own furniture [that I love]. The first piece of furniture I designed is still sitting on the wall in that room. It’s called the Lula chair and it launched my entire collection.
And then I have art from this young artist, named Josh Young. I got a Gigi Collins piece, which I really like. And like the things I collected from travelling. I have stuff I got from flea markets in Paris.
Oh my gosh, one of my favorite pieces is this really beautiful carved wooden bus. Actress Selma Blair gave me as a gift when I made her a really beautiful custom made suit. So I said, “Salma, this is the best gift ever.” Then she said, “I know.” Most people bring you a candle or send you flowers. She gave me this piece of art.
How would you describe your personal style?
My God. I literally wear black jeans and a black T-shirt pretty much every day. I am one of those people who are around couture dresses almost every day. So when you’re around clothes all the time, to be honest, sometimes I don’t think much about the way I dress.
But I’ll say, people always say I still have a bit of British punk rock, because that’s like where I went to in college, and that’s kind of where I learned about fashion. I lived in London for four years, so I still have a bit of that, maybe from going to see bands when I was in college. I still love that look.
Has it evolved over the years?
I definitely think it has changed. I definitely think now that I’m more accurate with what I’m wearing. I’m trying to make it more professional in some way. Every now and then I’ll enjoy it, but it’s definitely a little more subtle. Now that I can shop on a bigger budget, the clothes are a little nicer.
How did your personal style extend to your home’s interior aesthetic? Or does she have?
I have some clients that their home is exactly how they dress, how they act, their personality. wild color. We have a woman who wears black all the time. It’s very New York and we just made a dining room for it. And it’s all black and basically stunning, but it was just so funny. I was like, “Really?”
But then I have other customers, I would say [this even pertains to] I myself, who like little more than a clean, beautiful cream and a white world. And that’s not where I live at all. My character is not, but I like it [simple aesthetic]. We have a client that we’ve been shopping for a while. She is the most lively, wild, and energetic woman ever, but her home is very simple.
Which retailers or home designers do you regularly shop for décor?
I’m a big shopper at 1stDibs. My entire collection is available on 1stDibs. I also shop a lot of antiques. There is this really amazing place called the Fairfield Antique & Design Center. It’s in Connecticut, and it’s a great place for anyone out of town. It is very selective. They have a modern world, they have an ancient world, they have everything. This place, I love it. Also, in Los Angeles, it was called Galerie Half which I love. I really shop everywhere.
As a famous designer, I have been all over the world. Is there a niche that you like from a design and style perspective?
I have to say it’s tough when I live in New York, work in New York, and some of our most amazing clients are in New York. There is a lot of cool style in New York. I think the cool thing about it is that there is an eclectic taste [here]. I think this is still my place that I really love and draw inspiration from, which is why my entire company is still here.
What can we expect from your home line this year?
We are expanding the furniture range. And I really want to offer our customers new and exciting things, as I do [for] set every season. I treat it that way, so every year we will release a new collection. It will inspire and I want people to fall in love with furniture the same way they fall in love with a beautiful dress. So, that’s kind of my goal.
