Gioi Tran
photo by Michael J Lee
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? Milan
What are three words to describe your style?
1. Tailored
2. Refined
3. Timeless
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? I was very much in tune with creating a space that was comfortable and paid attention to details. I wanted organization, which was not typical for a 9-year-old boy.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? It was a Chinese Altar table that I purchased from an antique store. It took me a year to make yearly payments and once it was paid off, I brought the table home.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be?
Thomas Pheasant. He has a classic, tailored and timeless design, similar to my style.
No room is complete without: ART!
People think of me as wild, but I am really steady and calm.
Things you omit from:
A flower arrangement: Filler foliage
An hors d’oeuvre platter: Toothpicks
A bar cabinet: Gin
A song for:
Dinner at home: Jazz, Diana Krall
Working at your desk: Disco & Elton John
Going for a run: LOL, I don’t run!
Biggest Vice? Greyhounds
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? I’d book a trip to Europe or Asia.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes. My clothes are timeless, not trendy. Comfortable and classic. They’re staple pieces.
Who is your star crush? Anthony Bourdain
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? I would never use faux florals of any kind, but when I discover them in published works and didn’t know they weren’t real, I’m okay with it!
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be? I would take old family photo albums first especially if I could only carry one or two. You can always buy new books, but you can’t replace memories.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Timeless, classic and a sense of calm and true livable spaces.
photo by Christopher Stark
A Few Favorites:
Movie: Fargo
Book: Cookbooks
Scent: Gardenia
The fabric you always come back to: Alpaca and Wool
Dream project: Good clients, unlimited budget on a beach front property.
Meal: My Vietnamese comfort food (Pho)
Drink: Greyhound made with fresh squeezed grapefruits.
Hotel: Too many to name….
Travel Destination: Italy
Artist: Joan Mitchell
A cause near and dear to me: Pacific Links
Thing to collect obsessively: Glassware
Era in the history of design: 1920’s Art Deco
Museum: The Louvre
Paint Color that always looks great: Benjamin Moore, “Chantilly Lace”
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: It changes weekly but right now I am all about Paris thinking about Deco-Off and came across @parisfranceofficial which has the most magnificent imagery
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs
