Welcome to the third edition of Love, Kat. If you're new here, I'm the kind of person who fastidiously saves, screenshots, and catalogs information, and I envision this column to be a place where I can share my finds, particularly the under-the-radar ones, from the most stylish corners of the internet. I want it to be a visual feast as well as information rich, and I hope that some of what I share ends up in your reference folders too.
In previous Love, Kat columns, I shared art-inspired vacations I've adored and recommendations in some of my most-visited cities. I noticed a common thread in both: the homes of notable artists such as Salvador Dalí and Donald Judd. What can I say? A creative's perspective on interiors is my catnip! Today, we're going deep on the topic. With warm weather now officially here, let's peer into the city houses and summer residences of some of design's most iconic individuals.
We'll be bopping from Rome to Paris to Marrakech to get a glimpse into the everyday surroundings of people like Elsa Peretti and Yves Saint Laurent and the escapes that fueled their creativity. After poring over image options with our photo director, I was struck by how their homes were cultivated with an abundance of personality and point of view. It's commitment to an aesthetic with a capital C and such a refreshing antidote to the neutered neutrals that are popular today. Ahead, drink up four of the fashion set's most delightful interiors. I very much enjoy seeing the very personal environments that nurtured the work of some of fashion's most notable, and I hope you'll be inspired too.
Saint Laurent was a bit of a collector and apparently a big fan of shopping sprees at Drouot, a Parisian auction hall. Over the years, his Parisian home on the left bank naturally became a wonderland of rare 20th century furniture and art. If you look closely in the first image, you can spot an iconic Les Lalanne sheep. The husband-and-wife design duo behind the sheep was known for whimsical design and thought it would be funny to invade a big living room with a flock of sheep. The fashion crowd bought in big time, counting Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, and Karl Lagerfeld as fans.
"Before Marrakech, everything was black," Saint Laurent once said. On his first trip to Morocco, the designer and his partner Pierre Bergeé stayed at La Mamounia (which is one of the most decadent hotels I've ever experienced) and left the country with a deed to a new home. The trip kicked off a decades-long love affair with Marrakech, during which the designer purchased the pictured cobalt-painted Jardin Majorelle, which is now a museum open to the public. He would visit twice a year in December and June to create new collections, and it's easy to see the opulence and colors of Marrakech reflected in his design work. If you ever find yourself traveling to the area, another one of Saint Laurent's former residences has recently been opened as a magical-looking boutique hotel.
Peretti is one of those rare designers with enduring appeal no matter your age. Growing up, I had a cherished open-heart pendant designed by her; my sister wore her iconic Bean necklace. These days, I'm especially into her Jug necklaces and Bone Cuffs. Her jewelry designs for Tiffany are nothing short of legendary, so when I heard Apartamento released a book last month—The Italian Interiors of Elsa Peretti—showcasing a privileged view into her private home, I knew it had to be part of this column. Peretti grew up in Rome, and the above images are from the stately apartment in which she lived most of her life.
Just a two-hour drive from Rome but worlds away from the bustling city is Torre Avoltore, Peretti's 16th century stone tower residence in Porto Ercole. Although Peretti was a regular on the international fashion scene, friends with Halston and Andy Warhol, and a mainstay at Studio 54, her love for the natural world fueled much of her creative work. On my Italian roadtrip honeymoon, I stayed a 15-minute drive from Torre Avoltore at Casa Iris and can confirm the area's rustic charm and natural beauty are something special. As for the residence, it's considered one of Lorenzo Mongiardino's most recognized architectural projects. The fireplace itself looks as if it could tell a thousand stories, and I'm particularly smitten with the block-print wallpaper.
Of all the homes I looked at for this story, Gloria Vanderbilt's Manhattan residence had the most distinct point of view. The pattern-on-pattern, grandma-adjacent, kitschy-gone-chic aesthetic is so personalized it feels like the décor expression of her soul. Even if you're not familiar with the socialite, fashion designer, artist, and writer, you can look at these photos and know this is a deeply interesting person. More is more in Vanderbilt's printastic world, and just looking at these images encourages me to have a little more chutzpah in my own decorating choices.
Vanderbilt's Long Island escape just a couple of hours from the city features similar bold pattern play, but it has a slightly calmer tone, relying on more pastels and provincial gingham as the star print. Fun fact: The darker-haired child pictured is Vanderbilt's son Anderson Cooper, the well-known journalist and political commentator.
Valentino Garavani has said, "I embellish everything I touch," and it's certainly apparent in his Rome home, where prints and tassels are abundant. Like Peretti, he worked with Mongiardino on the villa near Appian Way, one of Rome's most ancient and important roads. My favorite feature of the house has to be the over-the-top décor technique of carrying the same pattern from the furniture to the walls and ceiling. The tent-like effect is simultaneously cozy and exotic, giving the distinct feeling of being on holiday.
For a time, Garavani owned a home on the island of Capri. The Moorish florals and tight color palettes of each room reflect a fastidious vision. Braquenié, a famous fabric and wallpaper manufacturer in Paris is responsible for the cloth. I'm particularly taken with the monogrammed decanter, which feels both preppy and personable.
