New York-based interior designer Jessica Gersten seeks to create spaces that evoke emotion while speaking to her clients’ lifestyle needs. Often she juxtaposes one-of-a-kind antiques mixed with contemporary designs, which are supported with neutral base colors, organic shapes, and patinaed metals. Her former experience in the fashion industry has equipped her with a keen awareness of color, fabric and proportion.
LARRY’S LIST had a chat with Jessica about how art collectors differentiate from her other clients, some of the artists whom she loves to see in collector homes, how her experience in the fashion industry has influenced her design practice, as well as what we can expect to see in her future projects.
11 Questions with Jessica Gersten
What is your number-one rule when designing a space to best compliment an art collection?
I don’t believe in a specific rule as rules are meant to be broken. That said, I do take into consideration the scale, subject matter, intended use, when scheming the room. I don’t believe that the room gets designed around the art, but they do need to communicate together well. It’s just a feeling.
How has your experience in the fashion industry influenced your design practice?
Putting together the perfect room is not unlike putting together the perfect outfit. Color balance, proportion and materiality were the fundaments that I learned in my early years in the fashion industry. And they are the fundamentals in interior design as well. And I always seek an element of the unexpected that creates intrigue and makes people look twice, both in my personal style and my interiors.
How do art collectors differentiate from your other clients?
When working with clients who are art collectors, the starting point is different. Art collectors have a keen eye and point of view that they come to the project with. It is likely they are also interested in collectible furnishings. Therefore, my vendor base may change accordingly. With non-collectors, I tend to drive the mood and tone of the project from the start.
Would you share some of your personal favorite artists that you love to see in collector homes?
Pierre Soulages, Rashid Johnson, Jenny Saville, Lee Ufon, and Tony Cragg are some of my favorites.
Interiors and art often seem to be in flawless harmony. Yet, we know from our collectors that artworks eventually change. How do the interiors you design adapt to an evolving art collection?
The interiors of a home can be considered the frame. Artworks can change within the frame. That new dialogues that are created between the artwork and the frame are what makes evolving collections exciting.
In your design projects, you juxtapose antiques with contemporary designs. What are the keys to create simultaneously contrast and harmony between the two?
For me, the tension among objects in a space is what creates a dynamic space. The key is that there is no formula to create that tension. It strikes a chord with me, and I know it when I see it.
Could you tell us more about your own personal art and design collection? Which pieces are closest to your heart?
One of my favorite pieces is a Jim Dine Paintbrush piece from London. I received it from my family as a birthday gift. The sentimental value is what’s most meaningful to me.
In the art world, we sometimes see artworks and art installations that look stunning in the .jpg but then when seeing the actual works, they are comparatively disappointing. How do you balance the need for creating liveable, usable spaces with curating that “Instagram moment”?
That is our everyday challenge in interior design. Meeting the client’s functional needs while meeting the aesthetic values we create. By tapping into my various resources, we succeed at finding the balance between the two. A recent challenge was creating a space that called for a lot of contour including a curved sofa which are notoriously not comfortable in primary living space. But we overcame that challenge by sourcing a curved sofa with loose seat and back cushions to serve the aesthetic and comfort for the clients.
As a tastemaker, are there any trends from your perspective you could share with us? What can we expect to see in your future projects?
In my own practice, I have been moving toward richer colors and textures and revisiting materials that we haven’t seen in a while such as stainless steel. In general, I’m looking for more moody environments that evoke warmth and emotion.
What advice would you give to a young designer in finding their own unique perspective in interior design? Or even to a young collector looking to design an amazing home?
Design and collect from your heart. Read design and architecture books and figure out a style/signature that you want to stand for and what feels right to you. Once you have that base, you can layer on special finds and unique pieces.
Can you share 5 of your most inspirational IG accounts?
@archdigest
@editorialistmagazine
@condenasttraveler
@domusweb
@collecteurs
Related: Jessica Gersten Interiors
Instagram: @jessicagersteninteriors
By Ricko Leung
