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10 Things That Make Jenna Lyons Happy
From ZZ plants to Mexico City.
Updated Oct 11, 2018 8:25 PM
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Introducing Domino’s new podcast, Design Time, where we explore spaces with meaning. Each week join editor-in-chief Jessica Romm Perez along with talented creatives and designers from our community to explore how to create a home that tells your story. Listen now and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.
Once referred to as “the woman who dresses America,” Jenna Lyons is no stranger to taking design risks. Formerly J. Crew’s creative director and president, Lyons has moved on to more focused endeavors. These days she’s redefining her personal style with new projects ranging from an affordable eyelash line to the launch of a genre-breaking television show, and through it all she’s staying true to her quirky vision that skyrocketed her platform years ago. Lyons found a moment to sit down with Domino’s editor-in-chief, Jessica Romm Perez, for this week’s Design Time: “I saw that beautiful things were transformative for people, not just from a beauty or clothing standpoint but also within the home,” says Lyons. “Like literally your surroundings, or the way that you look or feel, can really impact your psyche. It has a real direct connection.”
Tune in to today’s episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to learn about the creative maven’s exciting new adventures, her tips for painting molding, the power of transformation, and why it’s never too late to take a decor risk. At the end of the conversation we ask Lyons to share 10 things that make her happy. Here’s a sneak peek at what she says.
My Design Inspiration
“I think Dimore Studio is just incredible and so inspiring. I really love their attention to detail and the way they approach color, light, and material mixes.”My Furniture Favorite
“Gabriella Crespi. She’s just incredible. I bought some of her pieces at an auction and somehow my registration got mixed up, so somebody else bought them out from under me, and to this day it’s heartbreaking.”My Color Combination
“I’m loving navy and rust right now.”My Material of the Moment
“I will always, forever and ever, be obsessed with unlacquered brass. It’s one of my favorite materials—always has been and always will be. It has a fogginess to it; it has scratches, but I love that. It looks like it’s been lived in.”
My Object Obsession
“I love candles, so I’m always obsessed with candleholders of every shape, size, and color.”My Shopping Source
“I like LiveAuctioneers. I spend a ton of time there. These smaller sources are great because I find pieces that are ready for a new life. A lot of items on the larger sites are more polished and finished and ready to use, but I actually really like the process of recovering.”My Plant Pick
“I like coral New Zealand peonies, but in terms of houseplants, I love ZZ plants.”
My Go-To Read
“I’m doing a hotel in the Bahamas, so I’ve been looking at architecture books. I’m deep into Horace Gifford, and just looking at the way he brings light and shape and the outside in has been really inspiring.”