If you don’t know who Ann Sacks is, well, you’re either still living in your first apartment or you don’t have the right designer. Ann Sacks is to bathroom tiles, kitchen sinks, and plumbing elements what Armani is to clothing. She is the pinnacle of chic kitchen design, superior tile effects, and sassy knobs and pulls.
KH: Okay, give me the history lesson. How did you get started?
AS: In 1980, I was shopping for a Mexican wedding dress—they were all the rage then and I had to have one—and I found a bin of hand-painted Talavera tiles from Mexico. That led to my opening a showroom in my house in Portland, Ore. San Marco tiles, assorted floor tiles, peach-colored Saltillo tiles—if there was an empty space, I found a tile for it. But I outgrew that space and, in 1981, opened a store to sell Mexican tiles from regional artisan factories. Then, in 1983, I started offering my own line of tiles. And here I am today.
KH: Was the dress for your wedding?
AS: The dress was for me, but not for my wedding. My husband and I met during my sophomore year at the University of Michigan. We married during my junior year—when you’re young, time seems so short, no time to wait.
KH: Was it love at first sight, or did he wear you down?
AS: (laughing) Love at first sight. We’ve been married now for 32 years, so I must be doing something right. But I think the initial reasons that we fell for each other still hold up today.
KH: You’ve said that too often bathroom design leans to the traditional. Would you explain your design philosophy?
AS: I feel that contemporary design is much more challenging. It’s not about accessorizing. It’s about creating an architectural aesthetic. It’s about balance and light. You use fewer products in contemporary design, so those individual products must carry more weight, more value. The use of color has to be definitive.
KH: What is the next hot thing in interior design?
AS: The future of home design—from architectural to interior—is kitchen and bathroom design. Some of the new elements are truly stunning.
KH: What does your design team have in the works?
AS: New furniture pieces for the bathroom suite. We’re working toward more functional pieces in the bath—making it more its own room, its own living space. We have new ideas using antiquities and artifacts. Not old Napoleonic antiques, but true artifacts. I love antiquities.
KH: Your company has grown so large—multiple showrooms with lots of employees—and you’ve done everything from hotels to department stores. Do you ever long for the days when it was just you and a shoe box of tiles?
AS: Ignorance is bliss. I had no idea of the obstacles I was facing when I started. No idea! I never knew it could grow to this. From the beginning, the designers were wonderful. It was the corporate suits that were not on my side. I credit designers with where I am today. Their support has never faded. And, of course, now I have a great working relationship with Kohler, which frees me up to do what I really enjoy—interact with my customers.
KH: Now that your company is so successful, do you feel that the person you have to impress is yourself?
AS: No, I believe the challenges come from the external. I become very self-critical when a competitor does well. I think, “Why didn’t I do that?”
KH: You travel all over the world. What helps you to relax?
AS: I do travel a lot. I used to be the president of Ann Sacks. Now I’m the chief creative officer. I’m not as involved in the financial aspects as I used to be. Kohler handles that now. That’s freed up a lot more “Ann time.” When I relax, it’s in my home. I love the apartment that my husband and I have created. I can go there to relax.
KH: Tell me about your home. What’s your favorite room?
AS: My home in Portland is very modern and very warm. It’s two years old, and the building looks like a small skyscraper. My apartment is on the top two floors. When you look up from the street, you can see a huge Kip’s Big Boy in the dining room window. I just love him. My favorite room is the kitchen. I love to cook. Cooking is part of me; it helps me relax. I even buy cooking utensils as gifts for the thirtysomethings on my staff. They’re always running around eating out. If I can plant a seed with a utensil, who knows?
KH: What objects in your own house are you in love with?
AS: The living room’s slab stone floor and the kitchen’s limestone counters.
KH: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
AS: Doing more philanthropic work. Visiting our children and grandchildren. And friends. Childhood friends, college friends, his friends, my friends—some of us have known each other for 32 years. We spend a huge amount of time traveling to see friends. It’s a huge priority in our lives.
KH: If you had to choose between being rich, famous, and alone or in love on $15K a year, which would you choose?
AS: I’m not a designer-garment person. I’d want to be successful—and financial worth comes with that—but if I had to choose, it would be love on $15K.
KH: Okay, now for the easy stuff. Favorite color?
AS: It’s a green—less ocher, more buckskin. Very chameleon.
KH: Favorite piece of clothing?
AS: It’s a tie between my old, black leather jacket or my three-button Levi’s from college, which I can still wear.
KH: You go, girl. Any pets?
AS: Bobby, a small mutt we’ve had for 15 years. We also have a 14-year-old cat. I’ve always had at least two pets.
KH: Are you a shower or bath person?
AS: Well, both. I shower in the morning, and I take long baths at night.
KH: Favorite lipstick to apply while leaning over an Ann Sacks sink?
AS: Revlon’s Plum Raisin.
KH: What do you think of Dallas? Could you live here?
AS: I can relate to Dallas, but I do love Portland. However, you do have Eatzi’s!
