Her glamorous new tome – aptly named Glamorous Retreats – is out this month. Joslyn Taylor interviewed the interior designer for the current issue of D Home. Here’s a snippet of the Q&A:
D Home: The interiors in Glamorous Retreats range from a seaside cottage to a luxe pied-a-terre, but the spaces all look rooted in relaxation. How does location affect the design?
Jan Showers: We kick off the design process by looking at how the client’s family will use and enjoy the house. For example, a beach house requires washable fabrics and easily cleaned rugs with lighter colors, while the design of a ski lodge would be completely different. That said, one of the most interesting things about the book is the range of designs featured. For instance, the Toronto project is all about creating a space for the client’s art collection as well as a place for lots of guests to stay. So in this case, the location of the project had almost nothing to do with the design, while the Nantucket project was about creating a cozy family getaway for my clients that was heavily inspired by the colors of the ocean.
D Home: Do you employ different rules for second residences?
Jan Showers: People want to have more fun in designing a second or third home. They take more chances. But I don’t employ different rules for vacation homes. Besides always including eye-level lighting and a table by every chair, I dislike rules, as they make for boring projects–break them every time you can!
