The sofa is the star, but the supporting cast is pretty great. A stout, silver lamp accented with a tiger’s eye gemstone, a set of shell-shaped cocktail picks, a multi-shelved bar cart coated in glossy ivory lacquer—this is the ensemble that makes up Crate & Barrel’s latest collection, a collaboration with actress Laura Harrier and her design partner, Tiffany Howell. The 87-piece line launches today; and fittingly, it was all inspired by Hollywood.
“I think the collection feels like something out of a David Lynch film, or a Danielle McKinney painting,” says Harrier. The references to silver screen glamour range from the on-the-nose (the cream-colored, aptly named Cinema vanity) to the abstract (the aforementioned sofa is a nod to Elsa Peretti’s Bean necklace designed for Tiffany & Co.).
“What stood out was the clarity of vision that both Tiffany and Laura brought to the table,” says Sebastian Brauer, Crate & Barrel’s design head. (Also fitting: The two met years ago when Harrier reached out to Howell for her first home—this line is just the latest iteration of their design partnership.) “There was an immediate alignment around creating a world—not just a collection—that felt cinematic, glamorous, and deeply personal to their point of view.”
Courtesy of Crate & Barrel
Courtesy of Crate & Barrel
It starts with some ultra luxurious materials. Glossy lacquer features prominently (it makes up the Arlo bar unit, a favorite of both Brauer’s and Howell’s), as does sumptuous velvet upholstery, swirled burl wood furniture, and shiny steel dinnerware. It’s a little ’70s, a little Golden Age, a little contemporary. “It pulls from different eras but still feels current; there’s a softness and warmth to the palette that’s lived-in,” says Harrier.
Fans of Crate & Barrel’s classic furniture won’t be disappointed, but if you’re looking for something smaller, you may just find that the accents are the best part. The lighting is a particular standout; from an Art Deco table lamp inspired by an old-school perfume bottle to an angular, gauzy pendant inspired by a ballgown, this is the category in the collection not to ignore. “Fashion and interior design are both forms of self expression, and that connection was really central to the collection,” explains Howell. “You see it in the sculptural silhouettes and subtle details. Pieces like the lamp act almost like jewelry in a room.”
Courtesy of Crate & Barrel
