An Interview with Leta Austin Foster

Today I have the great pleasure to share with you an interview with one of the leading names in American interior design, Leta Austin Foster. I have tremendous respect and admiration for Leta’s work and could not be more excited to sit down with her for an interesting interview marking the launch of her new design concept, PREtty FABulous Rooms.  Leta founded her award-winning design firm – Leta Austin Foster Interiors – over four decades ago and in the years that followed, her work has been published in all the major design magazines as well as in a great number of interior design books. She has contributed design advice to Elle Décor, Veranda, Traditional Home and House Beautiful. House and Garden magazine named her one of America’s Greatest Interior Decorators. In 2015, Gibbs-Smith published “Traditional Interiors: Leta Austin Foster, India Foster and Sallie Giordano, written by Brian Coleman and Erik Kvalsvik, a book that celebrates her firm’s stunning portfolio.

What I believe sets Leta’s work apart is her ability to beautifully translate her aesthetic across many very diverse styles – from sleek Manhattan homes to 19th-century mansions and Bahamian-style homes in Florida.

Her design mantra has been “ never do the same job twice”, meaning a lifelong dedication to upholding the highest standards of quality and beauty in design. Her projects have always been in tune with their surroundings while simultaneously respecting the client’s vision. In May 2017 Leta received an honorary doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design. She has been awarded the Addison Mizner Award for Interior Design from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, award received in February 2018. 

Welcome, Leta! It is an honor for both myself and my readers to interview you today!

First of all, I want to tell you how much I love your blog—you have the same taste as I do, it seems, so I love the things you choose to post—especially Studio Peregalli.

Please tell me how did you begin your career and how did you evolve into the design powerhouse you are today?

Well, it’s embarrassing to admit, but I started in design, because at the time, it was one of the few careers in which women were equal to men.  That said, I have always loved to decorate, and I used to draw and redraw all the rooms in my Grandmother’s house.  Now I realize that they were all wonderful, but what do you know when you are 15 or 16?  I know that I am always reading in magazines about people who say their parents and friends recognized their great talent when they were mere children, but I file those under “Things That Make You Say, ‘HMMMM….”

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

That’s kind of hard, because I love so many different kinds of buildings. 18^th century English and American and French and Italian, breezy open houses in the south seas, the “dreams” of the sugar planters in Barbados— they all ring my bell, but I suppose that a blend of classical and today is my real idea of a home or hotel, so long as it’s done with quality and an eye for detail—in other words, as close to perfect as we can get.

How does living in Palm Beach, Florida influence your style?

It gives me a great appreciation of the wonderful Mediterranean houses built by the masters—Marion Sims Wyeth, Addison Mizener, Maurice Fatio and John Volk, but also a love for the classical Regency style as used by Clarence Mack and Belford Shumate.  I wish we would be more hesitant in tearing so many of these down to have them replaced by something not nearly so wonderful.  I think it must go without saying that you cannot reproduce these buildings unless you have a very, very large budget.  Preserve and renovate is my design mantra.

What is the starting point in working with a new client?

Just meeting them and getting to know them.  I think knowing, really knowing them, if that is possible, is definitely the first step.  Then we start to think about what they want and need.

Where do you find inspiration?

Pretty much everywhere—other houses, museums, books and magazines—and now, blogs–, outside with nature—believe it or not—the ocean, the sky, the mountains and forests in Maine; once I completely designed a house because I loved the way the land sat above the ocean—sadly, I didn’t get that job.

What are in your opinion the key elements to a well-designed environment?

First is how the house—or hotel or office, etc., relates to its own environment—how is it situated for light and sound?  How do the rooms or spaces flow into each other? How will the people live or work in the spaces?  This sounds broad and abstract, but these are most important considerations.  And of course, how do the people react to the architecture and style of the space?

Do you have a favorite project, past or current?

I have really quite a few, and they are everywhere, but I suppose if I had to choose, it would be a rather Balinese house—not really, but sort of—furnished with very soft colors and a mixture of modern (by that, I mean today) and antiques.  I love this house.  Sadly, the owners are very private people, and it will never be photographed.

Do you have a favorite room in your home?

Yes.  In all three of my places, my bedroom is always the favorite.  I’m such a bedroom person—in both my house in Maine and my apartment here in Palm Beach, I love the views, but I also love my bedroom in my house here in Palm Beach because it’s just so pretty.

Do you have any advice for designers starting their career?

Yes.  Broaden your outlook—read, read, read, and go to every house or building you can. The worst thing about new designers is their fear of leaving their comfort zone—there are unlimited styles of decoration. Learn about them.

If you were to pick one single trait that has been essential to your success in the interior design world, what would that be?

I don’t know—I guess it would be that I love people and I love decoration.  I look forward to Monday mornings.  Sometimes I go into my office on Saturday and Sunday, because I can work in peace, and really get things done. Then the time just flows by and I am usually unaware of how much has passed.

Please tell us a little bit about Pretty Fabulous Rooms and the inspiration behind this new design concept.

Actually, I can’t take credit for the concept.  That was brought in by Sallie Giordano and Alexandra Wernicke in our New York office.  But they didn’t want to go ahead with it, as they thought it would be much more efficient to do it here in Florida where so many of my workrooms are.  They felt that having so much of the furniture made in our own workrooms would be a great selling point—and it is.  We worked on the plans for almost three years before we launched.  And the hardest thing is getting people to realize that it’s a website—they don’t have to see the rooms in person.  They just have to go to the site. (www.prettyfabulousrooms.com).  

We actually made up all the furniture for the rooms, but it’s all in a warehouse in West Palm Beach.  Even so, the premise is that it’s all made by us in our own workrooms – the upholstered furniture and curtains are all made of fabrics from America—Quadrille (China Seas, Alan Campbell, etc.) and Sister Parish Designs and trims too– from Brunschwig & Fils and Samuel and Sons, etc.  The wooden furniture is from Oomph and David Francis (actually David Francis rattan is made in the Philippines but finished and upholstered in Vero Beach, Florida).  The funny, whimsical designs from stray dog designs are designed here and made in Mexico, our friend and ally for so many years.  It is amazing how many wonderful companies make their products in America, and we should support them.

Design mantra:

As Billy Baldwin said, your first purchase should be the best bed you can buy, and after that, the best sofa.  I would add to that that everything you buy should be the best you can possibly afford.  I think we do that with our PREtty FABulous Rooms—everything is of the best quality and made carefully by the best workmen.  Although, basically, the web is cheap, we are not—we did really work to get the prices down to a very reasonable level, but we never cut corners—our upholsterers make their own frames and tie their own springs.  We use the best and most suitable stuffings and the best and most suitable linings and fabrics.  We really care.  After all, I am 79, and I want people to remember me well. 

Favorite place to shop for your home:

Well, obviously, my own boutique for linens and tableware and scents and writing paper.  After that, I love to go on the hunt.  Paris always calls to me, and I found so many sources for my store there—Noel, D. Porthault, Nouez-Moi—and Moustier down in the south of France.  I’m in love with the things I found in the hill towns of Italy such as the palio pottery and Busatti’s wonderful linens. And Milan—so much of my store comes from there.  I also love going to second-hand stores wherever they are—here, Maine, everywhere I go.  

Favorite home scent:

I have a few:  the original scent from Kenneth Turner in London, “Cypres” from Rigaud, the original scent from Agraria, and Tuberose from Quintessence in Paris.  I carry them all and so many others which I love in my boutique. People always ask what is the wonderful scent in that part of the store, but it isn’t just one; it’s a mélange of all of them.

Style icon:

Again, quite a few: Billy Baldwin, Sister Parish, Albert Hadley, and Nancy Lancaster (full disclosure—she’s my cousin, so maybe I am biased)

Favorite destination:

Venice and the south of France

Favorite hotel:  La Mirande in Avignon—not only is it the most beautiful little hotel, but the location for touring and eating is fabulous.

Favorite museum:

The Metropolitan—how can it not be with the Studiolo Gubbio and all that fabulous French and American furniture, but also the Neue Galerie—what a wonderful place!

Favorite movie set: 

Is it a set?  I don’t know, but all the scenes in “The Year of Living Dangerously,” my favorite movie.

Favorite culinary indulgence:

Staying at home in bed and eating off a tray while reading.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Probably a lot, but I can’t think of anything now. Except, as I said, I love your blog.  As to the future, I hope I will be decorating until I die.

Thank you so much, Leta for opening up to our readers! What an honor it has been to get to know you through these questions! You are an inspiration and I must confess that I have been taking notes the whole time!!

Dear readers, I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s story as much as I have enjoyed preparing it! To read another Café Design post on the work of Leta Austin Foster, please click here. You can find out more about PREtty FABulous Rooms here. And finally, Leta’s equally fabulous book is available for purchase on Amazon as well as from select book sellers. Wishing you all a peaceful and fun weekend, wherever you may be!