LuxDeco

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Interview with Aerin Lauder

Interview with Aerin Lauder

As one of New York’s elite, Aerin Lauder’s style is impeccable

Jon Sharpe
By Jon Sharpe, Chief Creative Officer

For Aerin Lauder – founder of luxury lifestyle brand AERIN – beauty is an eternal presence. The granddaughter of Estée Lauder and a key figure in the famed cosmetics dynasty, the businesswoman, author and founder understands well the importance of beauty in every sense of the word. From the pretty everyday luxuries of her homeware range to the delicate florals of her scents, refinement, culture and a fondness for nature characterise her eternal style.

Describing her style as “a mix of traditional and contemporary but always liveable”, Aerin seems to have mastered timeless decorating. Whether an elegant Park Avenue apartment or a country home in the Hamptons (which she inherited from her grandmother), her interiors are the things of dreams.

“I love discovering new materials and mixing them in different ways,” the designer says, “creating spaces where people can congregate and just enjoy each other’s company.”

Even her Madison Avenue office bears witness to her commitment to beautiful living. Designed by the legendary Jacques Grange, the space boasts vintage furniture pieces, a tasteful yet bold colour palette and modern artwork. All is enhanced by pieces from her own collection. This season that includes burgundy shagreen photo frames and tableware in malachite green (a nod to childhood years spent in Vienna) with lashings of gilded finishes which she claims is the perfect neutral.

“I always say that beauty is my heritage and home is my passion,” the creative tells us. In this case, however, beauty and home, heritage and passion needn’t be separated. Instead they make the perfect complement.

"By choosing elements, pieces and prints that you love, the design will never grow old."

Interview with Aerin Lauder | Founder of Brand AERIN | LuxDeco.com Style Guide
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Q: Your book is called Beauty At Home. Tell us about your home and how you surround yourself with beauty there.

A: At home I am surrounded by boys and dogs so I try to bring in beauty and femininity where I can. This usually means small details such as fresh flowers, a nice table setting for breakfast or a floral scented candle.

Q: How do you transition your home for autumn/winter?

A: The easiest way to transition from season to season is to change out the pillows, throws and flowers. For fall I use darker colours and prints in heavier fabrics like velvet and cashmere.

Q: Your collection covers everything from lighting to home fragrances – do you have any favourite pieces which you like to design?

A: I truly love and use everything in the AERIN collection but have to say that working on the lighting collection might be my favourite. When designing a room, I tend to start with lighting and move to other aspects.

Q: What did you learn from your grandmother Estée about the importance of beauty?

A: My grandmother taught me that every woman or everything can be beautiful if you just take the time. A beauty routine doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge process – just a touch of brown eyeliner, lipstick and bronzer will do. For the home, it could mean a small arrangement of fresh flowers or framed family photos.

Go behind the scenes of our New York photo shoot and read more about Aerin’s style here.

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