A colorful interview: Amy Lau talks inspiration and color

Have you ever dreamed of a beautiful wallpaper coming to life?  Dined in a room whose decor is inspired by a favorite macabre, fictional character.  Or been swept away by a movement of colors so watery and lush that it has you feeling as if you’re smack in the middle of a swelling wave off the Pacific Ocean?

Kip’s Bay Spring 2009

Metropolitain Home-Showtime Show House Fall 2008, Kip’s Bay Spring 2007

If you’ve answered- ‘Why, yes!” then like me you’ve probably had the thrill of experiencing at least one of designer Amy Lau’s incredible show house rooms in person over these last two years.

The designer extraordinaire: Amy Lau ( a little insider’s scoop- yes, she really is this cute in person!)

I first met Amy last spring and we immediately bonded when the conversation came to color!

‘Ohhh, you should write about Corbusier paints!’, she excitedly declared once she found out I had a blog,’ they cost like a trillion dollars to use…but the colors they produce–  you want to just lick the colors right off the walls!!!’-  Now, how could I not love that colorful statement!!

When I asked her that day what was ‘in the works’ she filled me in on an upcoming project that was still months away and in it’s first stages of planning- A dining room inspired by the Showtime hit show Dexter for an upcoming Show House sponsored by Showtime and Metropolitain Home magazine.  At the time, I couldn’t even imagine what that might entail…( besides the color red…I was guessing) but Amy’s infectious excitement over the room be had me anxiously awaiting it’s debut as well.

Of course the room was nothing short of incredible.  And it was there in her Metropolitain Showtime House room that I realized how important the use of artisians were in Amy’s work.  Her Dexter dining room employed an astounding 21 different artists and craftspeople to create it’s eerily beautiful ambiance.

A few of Amy’s ‘partners in crime‘ for her Dexter Dining room included Martin Albert Interiors, Leah Picker, Steve Butcher and Stephen Antonson…learn more about these designs on Amy’s site

In March I ran into Amy again as she was days away from beginning yet another amazing project. A two story stairwell smack dab in the middle of the 75 million dollar townhouse that was to be this year’s 37th Annual Kip’s Bay Decorator Show House.

The space would be a collaboration between Amy’s visionary design, Maya Romanoff wall coverings and fabrics ( it also so happens that the Romanoff’s are celebrating their 40th Anniversary in innovative design this year as well) and the skilled work of the incredible paper artist Jo Lynn Alcorn.

Alcorn creates pieces for both private and commercial endeavors- here’s an example of her brilliant work used in a recent ad campaign for Marc Jacobs perfume

Amy’s project sketch

Again Amy had me excited over her visionary ideas- an inspiring stairwell that would come to life as if it were wrapped by a blooming Magnolia tree. She spoke of scallfolding and time issues, color inspirations and blossoms that were to be individually hand cut out of beautifully textured Maya Romanoff wallpaper…

I knew this time to just listen well…and patiently wait to see the results-

the piece de resistance!

After seeing Amy’s use of both visual (color, reflection and movement) and tactile aesthetics (forget licking the walls- you feel as if you’d like you wanted to pick one of the flowers straight off the wall just to discover if it smells as pretty as it looks)- I knew I had to talk to Amy again further about what had inspired her.

a detailed look- yes it really is all made of wallpaper!!

So I scheduled a quick phone chat.. here’s an excerpt (less than two minutes) where Amy tells me what inspired her color choices when it came to pick which Maya Romanoff papers she would be working with:

If you’d like to listen in on our conversation and learn more behind the scenes details, Amy’s suggestions on how to bring this inspiring look into your own home and other upcoming projects that Amy has on the horizon- visit us in the Sensational Color Community to hear the entire interview.