ENGLISH TEXTS.

A familiar air

GOLD, BEIGE, CONTEMPORARY ART, VINTAGE PIECES: THE NEW YORK APARTMENT OF AERIN LAUDER IS A TRIBUTE TO THE STYLE OF THE MAISON AND TO A REVOLUTIONARY GRANDMOTHER. Aerin Lauder’s surname suggests the sparkling allure of the days when her grandmother Estée invented her beauty brand. Aerin has inherited her grandmother’s nose for business and taste for beautiful, luxurious things. She lives in a large apartment on Park Avenue, with her husband and two teenage children. The decor reflects the style of the Lauder empire, dashes of the American golden age blended with European cultural sensibilities. The fabrics have been produced in collaboration with Lee Jofa. «The interior decor is by Jacques Grange, a fantastic French designer I met just after I got married. I like his way of mixing contemporary elements in unexpected settings», Aerin says. «I fell in love with this house at first sight. I was house hunting near Central Park, and when I visited in mid-winter sunlight was pouring through the large windows. When I design a space I always start with the lighting». An antique chandelier from an Austrian cafe, purchased in the Hamptons years ago, is her favorite piece, and has become the model for the Renwick of the Aerin collection. In the library a sofa covered in wool is joined by a variety of materials: rock crystal, tortoise shells, velvet in shades of Prussian blue and chocolate. The contrast with the preferred Lauder palette (pink, beige, gold) is clear. «The love of gold also comes from my grandmother», Aerin explains. «She had incredible gold wallpaper in her house in New York. Gold is a constant in my home and my brand (home, beauty, fashion accessories), though I also love the combination of blue and white». The outstanding art collection of her parents can be seen amidst custom and vintage furnishings: paintings and sculptures by Alberto Burri, Lucio Fontana, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti.