Valerie Peña
photo by joseph kramm
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? A small little house by the beach in Dominican Republic.
What are three words to describe your style? Timeless, Elegant, Functional
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? It was a lavender room fully decorated Disney princesses particularly the Little Mermaid
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? A ceramic work by NY artist Jeremy Anderson
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? Alyssa Kapito
No room is complete without: flowers
People think of me as intimidating, but I am really friendly.
Things you omit from
A flower arrangement: Gypsophila paniculata (Baby's Breath)
An hors d’oeuvre platter: the crudité/ salad section
A bar cabinet: Hard Liquor, not a big drinker
A song for
Dinner at home: Juan Luis Guerra
Working at your desk: Folklore/evermore by Taylor Swift
Going for a run: I don’t like cardio
Biggest Vice? Chocolate and fries
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? You would find me running around in the diamond district.
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes, comfort and functionality are as important as aesthetics and beauty. Classic over trendy.
Who is your star crush? Lauren Santo Domingo
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Mixing very bold colors.
What design book do you find yourself going back to again and again? I am a religious reader of design magazines; I would choose that books
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? For its timelessness, and elegant beauty
A Few Favorites:
Movie: In the Time of the Butterflies
Book: The Bible
Scent: For spaces Ernesto Cire Trudon and Baies Dyptiqe, personal I am always changing them up but currently: Aldebaran Marc Antoine Barrois
The fabric you always come back to: Chouchou from Elitis and Gramercy Park from Corragio
Dream project: A Boutique Hotel
Meal: My mom’s bone broth
Drink: Cosmopolitan
Hotel: Four seasons
Travel Destination: Home
Artist: It’s hard to pick one, Donald Judd, Charlotte Perriand, Richard Prince.
Thing to collect obsessively: Jewelry
Era in the history of design: Art Noveau
Museum: Musée Marmottan Monet
Benjamin Moore Paint Color: Chantilly Lace
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: The invisible collection
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? No pets
