Jeff Andrews: Personal Glamour In Los Angeles
I am delighted to interview one of my dearest friends, the immensely talented designer, Jeff Andrews, of Jeff Andrews Design. Jeff and I have known each other since 2003 when I lived in Los Angeles, and we were fast friends from the minute we met! He has impeccable taste, loves to travel just as much as I do, and appreciates the finer things in life. He also happens to have a heart of gold and is one of the most genuine people I know.
The home of internationally celebrated interior designer, Jeff Andrews, and his husband, Emmy-winning casting director, Ken Miller. All photos are by Christopher Stark.
It has been so exciting to see his passion for interiors grow into a huge success in the design world. His interior design firm attracts an ever growing roster of high profile celebrities including Lady Gaga, Kaley Cuoco, Ryan Seacrest, and pretty much all of the Kardashian/Jenner family. Jeff’s first book, The New Glamour: interiors with Star Quality, is excellence in every way.
Whenever I’m back in lovely LA, Jeff always knows where to be, what to eat, and who to see, which is why I asked him to put together a short list of his top picks for LA. And with his regular mentions in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor and Interiors Magazine, I’m so lucky to snag him to share with us his favorite LA finds and discuss his upcoming second book. Read on for my conversation with Jeff, and tour his beautiful home.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What brought you to LA?
JEFF ANDREWS: I was raised in Southern California but moved to LA when I was 18 to pursue a career in Dance. The dance quickly turned into a career in Choreography as I had a lot of ideas about the Big Picture and preferred being in control of the creative process. Facing a crossroad in my early 30’s got me on the path to Interior Design.
As long as I can remember I have had a strong feeling of aesthetics, how things look, feel and can impact your physical and emotional well being. Again, the Big Picture! My transition from Choreography to design was not seamless but made perfect sense to me. Over years of working with some amazing clients, I feel I have learned how to communicate design and the process while following my own creative instincts to bring a personalization to every project, big or small.
What are some of your favorite spots for dining in LA?
JEFF ANDREWS: Jar, Tower Bar & Mr. Chow are my all time favorite spots. I also love Petit Trois, Mother Wolf and The Polo Lounge!
Do you have any recommendations for great boutiques in your neighborhoods? Or a designer/artisan that you are particularly excited about right now?
JEFF ANDREWS: Ahhh, there are so many! For shops offering new, artistic selections for Interiors I love GARDE, The Future Perfect, Twentieth and Coup D’etat. For Housewares and vintage finds I frequent Nicky Kehoe, Coop and of course Table Art.
I am a huge collector and admirer of ceramics and my current obsessions are Jojo Corvaia, Caroline Blackburn and Heather Rosenman.
What are your recommendations for experiencing unique hidden gems? Local secrets, beautiful hotels, historic finds?
JEFF ANDREWS: Since I live in LA, I rarely stay in hotels, but some of my favorite places for a staycation are: The Hotel Bel Air, The Inn at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos, and The Miramar in Santa Barbara. My favorite Museum is definitely The Getty. Beyond the art collection, the gardens and scenery are absolutely exquisite. I also love the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures – it is loaded with the history of entertainment and Hollywood!
Let's talk about Jeff Andrews Design. Is there an ethos that guides you as a designer? What inspires you creatively?
JEFF ANDREWS: For me the most important guidelines for good design are to listen to my clients and to stay true to my personal aesthetic. These two things are not always the easiest thing to do together! Designing a home for someone is such an intimate, collaborative relationship. The journey can be intense but the result, when it is successful, is so rewarding. Success is what I’m after.
What aspect of your work brings you the most joy?
JEFF ANDREWS: I really enjoy the collaborative process. With clients, my own team, artisans, vendors and product development partners. I find the most creative energy and best solutions come from listening and working with other creative minds.
Do you have any upcoming or recently completed projects you are excited to talk about?
JEFF ANDREWS: As we continue to create beautiful homes for our residential clients, product design has become a large creative outlet for me. I find that the creative process is quite different from interior design, in that I can design with abandon the things I love and want to use in projects as well as my own home. It’s such a cathartic process, looking within, looking at past projects and creating collections that speak to me on a design level that I feel will also speak to other designers for their projects. It is no easy task deciding what to put out into the world! I really rely on my own sense of style, function and want to infuse everything with a sense of history that make things feel accessible and slightly familiar. I currently have a furniture collection with A Rudin that has been updated and refreshed, a rug collection with Mansour Modern, Wood surfacing’s with Jamie Beckwith and two wallpaper collections with Astek. Coming up is a new rug collection with Kyle Bunting, a decorative Hardware collection with Joseph Giles, and a lighting collection with Studio M Lighting.
What is next for you?
JEFF ANDREWS: I'm starting work on my new book, a follow up to The New Glamour, offering of course more Glamour but also a deeper dive into what Personal Glamour means to me as a Designer and how we interpret it with our clients. All new projects, stunning photography, and the stories of my design journey and philosophies.
