← Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production
Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: A Fenimore Lane Production
Jennifer Gracie // Behind the Scenes at a Legacy Family Business, Finding Inspiration All Around You, and Embracing an Unpredictable Style
00:40:41
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- [00:00]
Arielle Okun
I always like to ask people who come on the show what you think your home says about you. Because it's so personal.
- [00:05]
Jen Gracie
I think it says that I am not fussy.
- [00:10]
Arielle Okun
I love that I always tell people.
- [00:12]
Jen Gracie
That our wallpaper is precious, but I am not. A lot of people when they meet me, they at first are a little bit nervous, I think because our wallpaper is very fancy. But I am undecidedly not fancy. I am kind of a goofball. So that's me. Like I, I am perfectly happy having like a good old seeded watermelon as dessert. Like you do not need to give me a souffle. Like I am perfectly happy. Yeah. With the simple things.
- [00:44]
Narrator
Welcome to Talkshop. I'm Arielle Okun, a New York based interior designer, writer and editor looking to bring a little bit of magic into our homes every day. After years as a writer and editor in the interiors world, I founded my own editorial site, Fenimore Lane in 2020 and the Talk Shop interview series was born. Each week I delve into the personal experiences of the top interior designers and tastemakers around the globe. This week I'm thrilled to welcome Jen Gracie, the fifth generation creative leader of an incredible 125 year old family business. Gracie creates some of the most beautiful and beloved custom hand painted wallpapers in the world, utilized by esteemed designers and celebrities around the globe. Founded in 1928 here in New York City, James Gracie originally sold custom lamps and home furnishings until the 1920s when they began to offer Chinese and Japanese furniture, screens and porcelain. Soon after, Gracie became the first company to import hand painted wallpapers to the United states since the 1700s.
- [01:47]
Arielle Okun
Today the studio has showrooms in New.
- [01:49]
Narrator
York, Louisiana and Dallas with several exclusive collaborations with luxury companies such as Erin, Estee Lauder, Sarah, Flint, Stubbs and Wootton and more. Today's guest is Gracie's Creative Director Jen, who oversees the company's day to day operations as well as their social media, new collections, inspiration for custom projects and more. Alongside her brother Gracie's president Mike and her Senate Sales director Zach, they continue to carry out Charles Gracie's legacy and maintain the family's generations long commitment to exceptional design. A proud mother of two, Jen loves to scuba dive and spends her free time painting, baking and traveling. So please join me as we welcome Jen Gracie to the podcast.
- [02:34]
Arielle Okun
Jen, welcome to the podcast. I'm so happy to have you on to kick off our season three.
- [02:41]
Jen Gracie
It's so great to see you again. It's been a while.
- [02:45]
Arielle Okun
I know. I'm so, so happy that you're on and so excited to chat about everything you have going on in the book and all these exciting things. So I just can't wait to chat with you.
- [02:56]
Jen Gracie
Ah, thank you. It's been a lot. It's a busy, busy time. Fun start off September this way.
- [03:02]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. Well, to kick off the conversation, we ask everybody who comes on if you can describe your style in three words or less.
- [03:13]
Jen Gracie
Eclectic, unpredictable, and colorful.
- [03:21]
Arielle Okun
Oh, I love that. And it's so true, too. I feel like you. You have your own very unique personal style, which I love.
- [03:29]
Jen Gracie
Oh, thanks. Yeah, I've always been a treasure hunter, so, you know, people ask what my style is, and I always tell them that it really. It's not a certain era or a certain style or a certain. It's not American. It's not any certain aesthetic. I just feel like if I buy things that I love, they will live happily together. And that's the way my house looks. So.
- [03:51]
Arielle Okun
Oh, that makes me so happy. That's really the takeaway that I try to infuse the podcast with in general, is to, like, really help people find and hone in on their personal interior style. So.
- [04:03]
Jen Gracie
And I think that's your style, too.
- [04:05]
Arielle Okun
Oh, thank you. That's very kind. But it's true, because when you. It's the old Billy Baldwin quote. When you buy the things you love, nothing really goes out of style.
- [04:13]
Jen Gracie
So true. Right? And beautiful never goes out of style, so.
- [04:16]
Arielle Okun
Exactly. That's. That's for sure. Well, speaking of beautiful, for those who may not know, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
- [04:25]
Jen Gracie
So our family business has been around since 1898. It was started by my great, great grandfather, James. Gracie founded the business in New York, and our very first location is unfortunately no longer there because it's where Penn Station now stands.
- [04:41]
Arielle Okun
Oh, wow, that's so cool.
- [04:44]
Jen Gracie
It is cool. We were able to find that location in a very, very old census record in New York City. And we have a photo of my great grandfather, Charles R. Grace. He's standing on the steps with an old War Bond poster in the window in this old hat. It's actually in our book and it's on our website. A picture of him standing on the steps. So we're now in our sixth generation. I'm a fifth generation, along with my brother Mike and my son Zach is the sixth generation. So it's pretty amazing and unusual to be carrying it on after all this time. And as my dad Brian likes to joke, in no generation have any arms been Twisted. So someone has always wanted to do it and had a love for it.
- [05:27]
Arielle Okun
Well, luckily for all of us designers, because Gracie makes truly the most beautiful hand painted murals and wallpaper. And it's just an incredibly special thing that you guys do. So what a special thing that you've been around for as long as you have.
- [05:43]
Jen Gracie
Thank you. We actually didn't start off making wallpapers. We started off in the antiques business. And my great great grandfather made gilded lamps and did restoration. We were actually involved in the renovation of the Waldorf Astoria way back in the early 1900s. But then my great great grandfather and great grandfather had a love for antiques and they started buying and selling antique wallpapers and, and then in the 1920s, we segued into actually importing hand painted wallpapers. So we've been doing that for over 100 years.
- [06:18]
Arielle Okun
Wow, that is so fascinating and so amazing that through the generations the business has evolved, but it's always been such a stalwart staple of the design industry, which is really, really such an incredible accomplishment. Well, design has always been a part of your life, but what was the moment that you knew that you were going to take on the family business?
- [06:40]
Jen Gracie
It has never been a question in my mind. It's actually something that I wrote about in the book. When I was very, very little, my father was the only one in the family who ran the business. He was the only family member involved. So, you know, he didn't have another family member helping him out. My brother and my son and I are very lucky to be doing this together. I overheard him talking to my mom, Linda, and saying, you know, if nobody else is interested, I don't know, maybe I'll think about selling the business when I'm older. And I burst into tears and I said, you have to wait for me.
- [07:19]
Arielle Okun
Oh, my God.
- [07:20]
Jen Gracie
I had a love for it from the time I was really little. I loved going on antique spying adventures with my parents. And I loved playing hooky from school, going to the showroom and listening to the salespeople, you know, talk to Mario Boada and Mark Hampton and Ruben de Savedra and hear them talking about the wallpapers and going through the display wings and looking at the wallpapers and going through the different rooms of antiques. At that time, we had separate rooms for rose medallion porcelain and blue and white porcelain, and we had a room of Coromandel screens and we had one room with really, really precious antiques that we kept blocked. And I just loved, you know, as a five year old, walking around the showroom and looking at everything and, you know, studying the antiques and I just, I always loved it. So I always knew, I mean, what.
- [08:16]
Arielle Okun
A way to grow up. Also, in terms of an education, that's something that you can never. You could certainly never go to school for.
- [08:23]
Jen Gracie
It's true.
- [08:24]
Arielle Okun
And just to be able to pick all of that up through osmosis is sort of like a once in a lifetime opportunity.
- [08:31]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. As far as the antiques go, I really did learn from, you know, going with my parents and having them show me a vase and picking it up and, and showing me, you know, the glaze and, you know, look at the thickness here and look at the painting here and hold it upside down and look at the base and look at the wear. And this is how you tell a reproduction from a real Ming vase and things like that. You know, look at the lacquer and look at the cracking. And you can't learn something like that from a book.
- [09:00]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. I mean, it's such a fascinating background. And then that path brought you to becoming the creative director too.
- [09:09]
Jen Gracie
It did. I always loved, you know, I was always inspired by color and pattern and getting inspiration from antiques or even seeing a color combination in a flower or a bird wing or fish scales or a coat as someone's walking by on a sidewalk. I mean, ideas can just come from anywhere. It's so wonderful to be able to just have that moment where you see something that sparks an idea and be able to contact my studio and say, let's try this. And then a few weeks later, have a sample show up and see whether you loved your idea or not.
- [09:46]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. And that's a gift. I mean, to be able to see something out in the world and then translate that into real inspiration that can then become something that lives on a wall is not an easy process. And you have to really be able to identify beautiful things in a way that not everybody can. Can you walk us through the process of creating some of these gorgeous hand painted wallpapers?
- [10:14]
Jen Gracie
Sure. So when we want to develop a new design ourselves, it does. Still, in that regard, it's the same as doing a custom order with a client. We first want to do a sample, and Generally that's a 3 by 5 foot high or 3 by 8 foot tall sample. If I'm doing something that is maybe based on an antique wallpaper, I might do it 8ft tall because I just want to see more design elements and how they're actually painted. More birds, more flower types and things like that. And so I want to see all of those things in person with my own eyes in terms of the colors and the details. And sometimes I will order a sample with even three different segments. I might choose three different design colors in the background to make sure that I see a few different variations. I want to try to limit the timeline with getting an order perfect, getting a design perfect. So I may order a few different variations so that I can make a selection quickly because, you know, I'm impatient and I want to get something in front of clients as quickly as possible, as much as I want to get it, you know, for my own satisfaction on our display wings as quickly as possible as possible.
- [11:27]
Arielle Okun
Totally. There's also nothing better than getting that big cardboard cylinder with the greasy sticker on it. I mean, we all squeal when we get something for a client to look at a sample.
- [11:39]
Jen Gracie
Well, it's the same for me.
- [11:42]
Arielle Okun
It's the best. I mean, it's really, it's just, just so unparalleled and unmatched in beauty. And whenever we get to open one up in the, in the studio, in our studio, we're, we're just so excited.
- [11:54]
Jen Gracie
Well, we feel the same way and that's nice to hear. So, you know, once we get the sample, if we, if we decide to love it, if we don't, we make whatever changes are necessary. But once we decide that we love the colors and the design style, the next step would be deciding what the display wing will look like. And the display wing is large scale. It's 6ft wide by 8ft high. We want our clients to be able to see a really large representation of the full scale design, you know, basically how a large section would look on their wall in their own home. I just don't like people to only see a three foot wide section. It just doesn't give you enough of a visual of what that expansive design, which is never going to repeat in your room and never going to repeat in anyone else's room. You know, your room is never going to be like anybody else's room. We don't use templates, we don't use Photoshop. If you order a room for a client and then another designer orders a room for a client, we're hand painting it. Why would we make your room a repeat of another designer's, you know, client's home room?
- [13:06]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. And that's what makes it so special, because it's really, it's original artwork.
- [13:10]
Jen Gracie
Right, exactly. So I do say that to people too. It's, it's More like a work of art than it is wallpaper, really, when you think about it.
- [13:18]
Arielle Okun
Oh, it absolutely is. And, I mean, you can see it when you see it in person. It's just breathtaking.
- [13:24]
Jen Gracie
Thank you.
- [13:25]
Arielle Okun
For those who want to get a really good look at all of the amazing, gorgeous Gracie papers through the years, there's now the book, which is so exciting, called the Art of Gracie, printed with Rizzoli and now available. I just got mine in the mail, actually, today, and I'm so excited to open it.
- [13:43]
Jen Gracie
I can't believe we got it today. That's so exciting.
- [13:45]
Arielle Okun
I know. It was, like, very fortuitous timing, and the COVID is just beyond. It's so gorgeous. That blue is stunning.
- [13:53]
Jen Gracie
Blue is my favorite color.
- [13:54]
Arielle Okun
And mine, too.
- [13:56]
Jen Gracie
I'm pretty happy with that cover.
- [13:58]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, it's really special, and I know that it will be a lot of people's wish lists for coffee table books this season.
- [14:06]
Jen Gracie
Oh, thank you.
- [14:07]
Arielle Okun
Can you speak a little bit about the process of working on the book? I know. I think you worked along with Mike on it, and it really. It walks readers through spaces and rooms that feature really, a variety of these gorgeous Gracie wallpapers.
- [14:22]
Jen Gracie
My brother Mike, my son Zach, and my father, Brian all worked on it.
- [14:27]
Arielle Okun
Oh, that's so special.
- [14:29]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. So my dad, Brian, actually wrote the introduction. We all worked on it a lot, but we each wrote our own sections of the book. So my dad wrote the intro, and then Zach and Mike and I each wrote sections about just our own experiences and recollections, kind of growing up in the business.
- [14:48]
Arielle Okun
Special to have, especially for your son, to be able to work on it with your dad. I mean, that's just like, such a gorgeous family moment.
- [14:58]
Jen Gracie
Thank you. And there is a little bit of the history as well. It was a lot of work. I'm actually really, really happy that no one warned me in advance.
- [15:07]
Arielle Okun
I know I'm in the middle of. I've officially started my writing process for my book, and I'm in the middle of it now, and it. I'm writing the book myself, so. Yes, it is quite the process.
- [15:20]
Jen Gracie
It is. And, you know, when you've been in business as we have been for 126 years, it's a little daunting trying to figure out what to include and what not to include. So that was a little bit overwhelming.
- [15:37]
Arielle Okun
In the beginning, I'm sure. And, I mean, Gracie paper is in some of the most famous residential and, you know, famous historical buildings all over the world, so.
- [15:47]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. And I can't pretend that I'm not still a little bit heartbroken thinking about rooms that didn't get into the book.
- [15:54]
Arielle Okun
Didn't make it in, I'm sure.
- [15:56]
Jen Gracie
No, it couldn't. It couldn't be the Gracie Encyclopedia. We had to keep it to one for our first book.
- [16:03]
Arielle Okun
No, it's hard. And also each one tells a story and it was an experience working with a designer or a client. And so I'm sure that's also because it's not. Each one is hand painted, so they're all original stories, which is so fascinating to think about.
- [16:17]
Jen Gracie
Then, of course, there are so many rooms that I know about, but that either were never photographed or that the homeowner would not allow to be shown. So those were heartbreakers as well, I'm sure.
- [16:32]
Arielle Okun
I know it's so hard not being either not being able to document it or just because it was so long ago not having any photos.
- [16:41]
Jen Gracie
Yes, there are those, right? I mean, so many beautiful, beautiful rooms that predate high resolution photography.
- [16:49]
Arielle Okun
Well, I'm going to pivot a little bit to some design questions. What is your favorite thing about working within the design industry?
- [16:56]
Jen Gracie
How different every day is? For me.
- [16:59]
Arielle Okun
Yeah.
- [17:00]
Jen Gracie
One of the things I love about my particular job in the business is that no day is ever the same as the next. No hour is ever the same as the next. I wear many hats in our business, which is one of the things that I love. It suits my personality really well.
- [17:16]
Arielle Okun
And you're so good at it. I love working with you because you, you know everything inside and out about the business, which is so inspiring.
- [17:23]
Jen Gracie
It's one of the reasons I don't delegate things like the Instagram, because I sort of have. I have a really, really good memory for, like, every design we've ever done, so.
- [17:34]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, you do. No, it's like an encyclopedic knowledge, which is like, fascinating and also so helpful as a designer when working with you because you will remember like a detail from somewhere else or suggest something, and that's just always so helpful. And one of my favorite things that I own in the world are the two custom panels that you helped me make when I first moved into my house. It was so fun.
- [18:00]
Jen Gracie
I love working with designers just because I love creativity and I love creative people and I love getting that, you know, hey, Jen, can we do this? Because my answer is always yes, of course.
- [18:14]
Arielle Okun
Yes.
- [18:16]
Jen Gracie
And that is what is so much fun about our business and my job is that, you know, that sort of no holes barred aspect of we can do anything.
- [18:29]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. And that's where the best rooms come from, too.
- [18:31]
Jen Gracie
Absolutely. Absolutely.
- [18:32]
Arielle Okun
Do you have any good stories to share? Like, any really highlight standout stories of any rooms that you recall working on or loved or.
- [18:42]
Jen Gracie
Oh, I mean, there are some. You know, we've had some really quirky requests, I'm sure.
- [18:47]
Arielle Okun
What's the best? Like, random request.
- [18:51]
Jen Gracie
Oh, one of the quirkiest ever. We had a request once to include in an order a raccoon reading a restaurant menu. Smoking a cigar. Yeah, smoking a cigar.
- [19:05]
Arielle Okun
That is so random. I mean, one of the cool things that you guys do, which I don't know if people know this. When you are making, you know, your custom murals, you can include anything in them. So oftentimes, clients will want to customize them or, like, hide their initials in them or incorporate animals that are meaningful to them or special flowers, or.
- [19:25]
Jen Gracie
We get lots of sweet little requests which are. I mean, we've done many orders like this. Something very simple, like including a bird's nest. And we will do things like include three baby birds. If a couple has three children. I'm doing an order right now that includes three eggs because the mom is pregnant with triplets, so.
- [19:49]
Arielle Okun
Oh, that's so sweet.
- [19:51]
Jen Gracie
So there will be two adult birds who are kind of lovingly perched overlooking the nest for the mom and dad.
- [20:00]
Arielle Okun
Oh, my God. That's so swee.
- [20:02]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it's really sweet. And then we sometimes have requests later on after the order's been installed, where a decorative artist will go in and then add, you know, three birds to represent the kids as they kids.
- [20:16]
Arielle Okun
Yeah.
- [20:17]
Jen Gracie
So things like that are really, really fun. I did an order once where a bird was flying with a little ribbon in its mouth that had the wedding date of the couple.
- [20:28]
Arielle Okun
Oh, that's so sweet.
- [20:29]
Jen Gracie
Painted on the ribbon. It's fun. It's fun to do little personalizations like that. I love it.
- [20:34]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. I mean, that's what really, I think is one of the things that makes the heritage brand element of Gracie so special is that this becomes heritage to people's homes. And it's a huge part of people's memories of their homes and how these kids grow up. And it's just. It's. It's very, very, very unique what you guys do.
- [20:56]
Jen Gracie
And then some orders are not just you know, little. Little personal to, you know, one of our, you know, spring orchard designs that's, you know, relatively standard, but made to fit the room. Right. I had a designer come to me once with a photograph that a couple had taken on their honeymoon in Tuscany of this gorgeous view of the rolling, you know, countryside. I mean, how gorgeous is Tuscany? And we painted the entire landscape based on this photograph. So that was an order that was entirely made up from scratch. Just 100% custom for them.
- [21:31]
Arielle Okun
That's so fun. I feel like I want to think more out of the box now with the things that we come to.
- [21:36]
Jen Gracie
Here we go. Here we go. With a new order from.
- [21:39]
Arielle Okun
Exactly. We're going. Exactly. Are there any design rules that you always follow or is there one that you think is like totally made to be broken?
- [21:47]
Jen Gracie
I don't really have a design rule. I can't say that I have a rule, but I'm not a believer in following the current hot trend. Absolutely will not, like, just embrace this year's hot color. I absolutely will not do something like that.
- [22:06]
Arielle Okun
It makes me mad.
- [22:07]
Jen Gracie
Yeah.
- [22:08]
Arielle Okun
Say this all the time, but your home is the biggest investment that you make or one of them. And it shouldn't be trendy. It should be something that's unabashedly you and is really a reflection of your personality and your interests and your tastes. So I'm totally with you on that.
- [22:23]
Jen Gracie
I think Karl Lagerfeld said the next stop after trendy is trashy.
- [22:28]
Arielle Okun
Yes, it was. And it's such a good. I mean, it's funny, but it's also so true.
- [22:33]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it's just, it's a. It's a fleeting moment. Right. And who wants to deal with that?
- [22:39]
Arielle Okun
No. Especially not when it comes to your home. What is some of the best advice for designing interiors you've ever received and from who?
- [22:47]
Jen Gracie
Well, gosh. So my husband and I just moved into this home in the Hollywood Hills, which is a mid century home which I've never lived in before. So this is a total departure. It was built in 1966, which is the year I was born.
- [23:02]
Arielle Okun
Oh, I love that.
- [23:03]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it's very exciting because I grew up only in, you know, built in 1700s homes in New York. So.
- [23:11]
Arielle Okun
Yes, I remember you telling me.
- [23:12]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. So this is very exciting. It's up near Mulholland Drive. It has beautiful views. It's very, very mid century. But we're putting our wallpaper everywhere. This design is actually. Sorry, no one's going to see this. It's a. It's our new wisteria design that's based on a 17th century Japanese screen pattern. We're doing it on a green silk for one of our guest bedrooms. So we're doing a lot of really traditional designs in this mid century home. Our dining room will be the only room that has a very modern design that's actually based on one of my watercolor paintings that I did myself.
- [23:53]
Arielle Okun
That's amazing.
- [23:54]
Jen Gracie
That was actually for a Father's day card I painted for my dad. And he loved it so much that it was his idea to turn it into a modern design, which is one of the most modern designs we've ever had. It's called Squiggles. So we'll do that in our dining room. But everything else is one of our pretty traditional designs. And I do love juxtaposition.
- [24:13]
Arielle Okun
That's what makes great design, the tension.
- [24:16]
Jen Gracie
So my friend Kevin Isbell, who is a very talented designer, is designing our home and I love him and I love the fact that he agrees that if you decorate with the things that you love, they will live happily together. So that to me is one of the best bits of advice when it comes to design.
- [24:34]
Arielle Okun
I agree. And oh my God, I can't wait to see it.
- [24:37]
Jen Gracie
I'm excited.
- [24:38]
Arielle Okun
It's going to be great. Kevin, so talented.
- [24:40]
Jen Gracie
Yes, he is. Yeah, he's. He's a lot of fun. He's super talented. I love that he. He's really great at mixing colors and patterns in such a beautiful way. And my home is going to be all about that. So.
- [24:52]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. Especially with all the papers. I feel like it's gonna be the juxtaposition of not only it being mid century architecture with the more classical elements, but also mixing all the different palettes together is so interesting. And I can't wait to see it.
- [25:09]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. One of our designs called Kano Garden, which is another one based on a Japanese screen, is going in. There's this crazy fireplace that goes from the living room through to the bar. It's a see through fireplace. You feel like the Rat Pack probably left some crazy party. So Canoe Garden will go in that room and there's this crazy cantilevered fireplace and it's going to be wild. I hope you get to la. I hope you can come over and see it when it's done.
- [25:38]
Arielle Okun
Yes, I would love to. One year. I want to come for Legends and I'll come.
- [25:42]
Jen Gracie
I'm hoping it'll be done for Legends in May. Maybe come out. We'll have a party out in the.
- [25:47]
Arielle Okun
Yes, that would be amazing. Looking back through your career, have you had a mentor at all? I'm sure probably your dad for sure.
- [25:56]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. Yeah.
- [25:58]
Arielle Okun
And how have they sort of helped you shape your trajectory?
- [26:02]
Jen Gracie
Really just by listening and going on buying trips with them to England and to our studio in China and buying trips in Japan. That's been the main way. And also, you know, also just by learning from a very young age, listening to a lot of our clients when I was very, very young. And as I've grown up, I mean, I still learn from all of our clients. And I love listening to how they talk to their clients about their work and their aesthetic and their beliefs about their own. Everyone has their own take on design. And I learn from you, and I learn from Alexa Hampton, and, you know, all of the people that I respect in this business. And I love how different everyone's taste is and how different everyone approaches a project and everyone even approaches a design project, including our wallpaper, from a different standpoint. Some people, yeah, start with the wallpaper. Some people start with the rug or the fabric that they're choosing for the drapery and choose our wallpaper last. Some people choose it first. It's just really interesting.
- [27:19]
Arielle Okun
Well, we talked a little bit about your home in la. I always like to ask people who come on the show what you think your home says about you, because it's so personal.
- [27:28]
Jen Gracie
I think it says that I am not fussy.
- [27:33]
Arielle Okun
I love that.
- [27:34]
Jen Gracie
I always tell people that our wallpaper is precious, but I am not. A lot of people, when they meet me, they at first are a little bit nervous, I think, because our wallpaper is very fancy. But I am undecidedly not fancy. I am goofball.
- [27:52]
Arielle Okun
No, you're the best. It's like. And that's so true. It reminds me of, like, Ina Garten. Like, she seems, like.
- [27:57]
Jen Gracie
So she's so funny and approachable, right?
- [28:00]
Arielle Okun
Yes, exactly. And the recipes are elevated and very luxurious. But it's approachable and it's warm and it's fun.
- [28:10]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. And she also would not turn her nose up at, like, the traditional onion dip that you can make out of the.
- [28:18]
Arielle Okun
Exactly. And I feel like that's the best way to be.
- [28:20]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. Yeah. So that's me. Like, I. I am perfectly happy having, like, a good old seeded watermelon as dessert. Like, you do not need to give me a souffle. Like, I am perfectly happy. Yeah. With the simple things.
- [28:36]
Arielle Okun
I love that. In my opinion, those are the best kinds of people to hang out with. Do you have any favorite places to shop for home?
- [28:44]
Jen Gracie
I really love a good antiques mall or, like, a consignment shop. I. I think you can find the best things.
- [28:52]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. It's like the gems hidden in the back of the room.
- [28:55]
Jen Gracie
It's really true. It's really true. I love the Pasadena Antique Small here in la. Yeah, I have found some really good treasure there. And I love, I love mixed lot auctions too. I don't necessarily love the fancy, fancy auctions that are very curated.
- [29:12]
Arielle Okun
I'm addicted to live auctioneers. It's so bad.
- [29:15]
Jen Gracie
My only regret is that I need to sleep because I know the things that I know I am missing online.
- [29:22]
Arielle Okun
It's really. It becomes a black hole because there's just so much great stuff. And like if you love the thrill of the hunt, then you're constantly looking and live auctioneers just has the most amazing things on there.
- [29:34]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. And I got to give a shout out to Cherish as well. I found. Yeah, I found such a wonderful. Well, Kevin. I have to give credit to Kevin Isabelle. He found this fabulous pair of mid century armchairs on Cherish that did not have great fabric on them. But then I found Fortuny fabric on ebay.
- [29:53]
Arielle Okun
Oh my God, that's amazing.
- [29:54]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. And I was, I was hiking in Runyon Canyon when the lot was ending on ebay. I had to stop to make sure I had a decent signal.
- [30:05]
Arielle Okun
Oh my God.
- [30:05]
Jen Gracie
That's placed my winning bid on ebay and got the Fortuny fabric that we recovered, the cherished chairs and we recovered them in an auto body shop on Melrose Avenue. No way in the back does upholstery. I mean it was just a hilarious story from beginning to end.
- [30:25]
Arielle Okun
Incredible.
- [30:26]
Jen Gracie
Yeah.
- [30:26]
Arielle Okun
I mean Cherish is incredible. The things that you can find on there. And I'm with you, I think like digging. I like to dig when things are highly curated. It's almost like you can't find the thrill of what you're looking for, you know?
- [30:40]
Jen Gracie
Can I tell you my method on Cherish? Do we have them in here?
- [30:43]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, absolutely.
- [30:44]
Jen Gracie
So I figure out what I want to look for, then I change nearest to you and then I do least expensive first and then I search through to see what I like best.
- [30:56]
Arielle Okun
It's amazing because you can find the most amazing things like within, you know, a few miles of you.
- [31:02]
Jen Gracie
Because ideally I want it now. So I want to see what I can pick up that's two miles from my house.
- [31:08]
Arielle Okun
Right. I know. The impulsiveness also of decorating is kind of what makes it fun too because you're kind of haphazardly mixing things together, but then they end up working.
- [31:18]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. Well, in that way I can go see it and make sure I love it, which is ideal.
- [31:22]
Arielle Okun
Exactly. Well, we do this at the end. We always do our take 10 which are our rapid fire questions? I'm going to start with the first. What is your favorite food?
- [31:31]
Jen Gracie
Watermelon.
- [31:32]
Arielle Okun
Ooh. My daughter's favorite food is watermelon too. It's so. Especially in the summer. I mean, there's nothing better than, like a ripe, juicy, delicious watermelon.
- [31:42]
Jen Gracie
Caveat. It's. It's gotta be seeded. It's gotta be crunchy. It's gotta have the cracks in the middle. I mean, don't give me a pre cut. Slimy, watery.
- [31:51]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, they're like, so gross. Yeah.
- [31:52]
Jen Gracie
Gotta be perfect.
- [31:53]
Arielle Okun
It has to be from the farm stand or.
- [31:56]
Jen Gracie
And second would be, like, anything fabulous cooked by my husband because he is the best home chef ever. He's Italian. Yeah. He cooks amazing dinners.
- [32:06]
Arielle Okun
What is your favorite drink?
- [32:08]
Jen Gracie
I'm going to be so boring again and say, like, fresh watermelon juice with a good tequila.
- [32:13]
Arielle Okun
Oh, my God. That is not boring. That is so. That's like an ideal cocktail, I would say.
- [32:19]
Jen Gracie
Yes. Yeah. That's cute. On a hot summer day. It's pretty ideal.
- [32:23]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. With some lime. That sounds Great. Favorite film.
- [32:26]
Jen Gracie
Mr. Blandings builds his dream house.
- [32:29]
Arielle Okun
Ooh, I have never seen that.
- [32:31]
Jen Gracie
That's so cute. Carrie Grant. I mean, it's just. If you love decorating, it's just. It's so old school and charming. It's just cute followed by love. Actually, they would be both right up there.
- [32:44]
Arielle Okun
My mom and I watch it every Christmas. Oh, it's one of my favorites.
- [32:47]
Jen Gracie
I cry every time.
- [32:49]
Arielle Okun
I know. It's just so good and so happy.
- [32:51]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it is.
- [32:53]
Arielle Okun
What is your favorite hotel?
- [32:54]
Jen Gracie
The Dorchester in London.
- [32:56]
Arielle Okun
Oh, yeah, That's a classic.
- [32:58]
Jen Gracie
Second Kyoto, The Miyako.
- [33:00]
Arielle Okun
Ooh, I have to put that on my list. I've never been to Japan and I. My husband and I really, really want to go.
- [33:05]
Jen Gracie
It's so beautiful. Kyoto is gorgeous.
- [33:10]
Arielle Okun
Favorite city?
- [33:12]
Jen Gracie
Rome.
- [33:13]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. Rome is incredible. My best friend from college went abroad to Rome, and one of my greatest regrets is that I didn't go with them.
- [33:22]
Jen Gracie
My husband grew up. He was born in Santa Monica, but he grew up between Santa Monica and Rome, so his father's from Rome and he spent tons of time both. He has dual citizenship, so I just love it there.
- [33:35]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, it's special.
- [33:36]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it is.
- [33:37]
Arielle Okun
This is a question we ask everyone because I feel like everyone in our industry is so particular about it. Favorite bedding?
- [33:44]
Jen Gracie
Oh, you know, I'm not a snob when it comes to bedding. I'm really. I love that I'm not. I. Currently, we are sleeping on Linen sheets that are so, so comfy. I mean, we've only washed them once and they are so soft and comfortable and they're from Brooklyn and.
- [34:02]
Narrator
Yeah, Brooklyn is great.
- [34:03]
Arielle Okun
They have amazing also if, like you're a hot sleeper. I love linen in the summertime.
- [34:09]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, they're so nice for here. I mean, currently it is 100 degrees.
- [34:13]
Arielle Okun
I know, it's so hot in LA. My. My best friend, the one who went abroad in Rome, is in Malibu right now for a wedding and she just texted me and she said it's 102.
- [34:22]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, it's toasty here.
- [34:23]
Arielle Okun
Yeah. Tea or coffee? And how do you take it?
- [34:27]
Jen Gracie
Coffee. And I make it. I only have one cup every morning, but I make it myself in a bialetti.
- [34:33]
Arielle Okun
I love that. So old school. And honestly, they make the best coffee.
- [34:36]
Jen Gracie
I do.
- [34:37]
Arielle Okun
Favorite playlist or music to listen to.
- [34:40]
Jen Gracie
I am so incredibly all over the place when it comes to music. So I have a. Yeah, I have a Spotify constantly going. And my son and my daughter and I have a shared playlist that's really. It's so much fun if you don't know about this. So it's this really fun thing that updates every day based on what you have all listened to. So every single day when you go on the playlist, it has changed based on what all three of you listen to.
- [35:12]
Arielle Okun
That's so cool. I have to try that out. And that's so sweet to do with your kids.
- [35:16]
Jen Gracie
I love that all of my kids have really great taste in music and I think I'm not too shabby either. So it's really fun. So It's. It's great because 40, fortunately, they love the music I grew up with. And then my kids discover new music all the time. So it's really like ideal.
- [35:33]
Arielle Okun
My daughter. My daughter's 5, but she came home from camp one day this summer and she started singing the Cha Cha slide.
- [35:40]
Jen Gracie
Oh, how cute.
- [35:41]
Arielle Okun
And I started singing it with her and she just stopped. Her eyes got so big and she looked at me and she goes, mommy, that's the Cha Cha slide. How do you know that song? And I was like, that's from my childhood.
- [35:53]
Jen Gracie
I mean, in the last day, I've listened to everything from like Pete Townsend to the Doobie Brothers to Teddy Swims. So it's like all over.
- [36:01]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, all over the place. That's how I am too. Favorite weekend activity.
- [36:05]
Jen Gracie
Hiking, painting, some watercolors, reading, spending time outside.
- [36:12]
Arielle Okun
Ideal weekend to me. And our last one is always the hardest for everyone to answer. But what is your favorite design book?
- [36:19]
Jen Gracie
Parrish Hadley.
- [36:20]
Arielle Okun
50 Years of Interior is a great one. That is like a classic. Yes, for sure. Jen, thank you so, so much for coming on.
- [36:29]
Jen Gracie
This went really fast and was so much fun.
- [36:31]
Arielle Okun
I know, it's so fun to chat with you. I wanted to ask a final few words just in general right now. Is there anything special that you're working on? Any new projects you can talk about?
- [36:41]
Jen Gracie
Wow, there is a lot. Okay. We have a really fun, beautiful collaboration with Stubbs and Wootton.
- [36:48]
Arielle Okun
Oh, my God, that's so fun.
- [36:50]
Jen Gracie
They are really, really fun. We have another beautiful cashmere silk scarf coming out with Sarah Flint.
- [36:56]
Arielle Okun
Oh, that's so great.
- [36:58]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, we have. I already have an idea for a second book that's going to be completely different than the first book.
- [37:05]
Arielle Okun
Oh, my God. I can't wait. I can't wait to dive into my book that I got today.
- [37:09]
Jen Gracie
Oh, I'm so excited for you to see it.
- [37:10]
Arielle Okun
I can't wait. It's so gorgeous.
- [37:12]
Jen Gracie
Send me a dm. Let me know what you think.
- [37:14]
Arielle Okun
I will.
- [37:15]
Jen Gracie
Did you open the box yet? Did you see the edges of the book?
- [37:18]
Arielle Okun
Yes. It's so special.
- [37:20]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. I was very excited about the decorated page edges.
- [37:23]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, no, it's. It's just perfectly on point for, for the brand. And we can't wait to celebrate you at the launch.
- [37:30]
Jen Gracie
Yeah, we're going to start hitting the road. We'll be doing book tour days.
- [37:34]
Arielle Okun
I know. There's the party in a couple weeks. I know. We're so excited. Well, the last question that we have for everyone when they come on is what advice do you have for someone looking to define their own interior style?
- [37:47]
Jen Gracie
I would say there, you know, there are so many places now to look. I am old school. I love turning pages. So I will never not have a library of books or a pile of magazines. I love magazines. I do tear pages out. I am a big believer in mood boards. I love them. I do think that it helps so much to snip things out of magazines. I think it really, really helps. If you're looking to figure out what you want your dining room to look like. Go ahead, cut out that picture of a magazine that you love and then figure out what is it that you love about it? Is it just the color palette? Is it that you fell in love with the style of the table, the chairs, the overall color scheme? Is it just that you loved the chandelier? I mean, that will all help you hone in on your style. So I just think that's where you have to begin.
- [38:46]
Arielle Okun
I love that. And it's something that we always get a lot of feedback from listeners who are always saying, you know, I. I know when I like a picture, but I can't really tell, you know, what it is that I like. And we always say, you know, everybody who always comes on says the importance of just continually exposing your eye in different ways, whether it's travel and reading and books and magazines and pulling those reference items out. And then you will start to see the pattern, and then you'll see what you love.
- [39:13]
Jen Gracie
What is it? Is it clean? Is it modern? Is it cozy? Yeah.
- [39:17]
Arielle Okun
Yeah, I love that. Well, Jen, thank you so much. This was so fun. Where can listeners find more about you and Gracie?
- [39:26]
Jen Gracie
I am the keeper of the Instagram. I have never delegated, even though people.
- [39:31]
Arielle Okun
Have, which I love. No, I love that it's you. It's, like, so authentic.
- [39:37]
Jen Gracie
Thanks. But, yeah, you can. You can find our website. You can find me on Instagram. I am having more trouble keeping up with DMs, so I apologize in advance about that.
- [39:46]
Arielle Okun
It's hard. I know. I am, too. It's. It's difficult.
- [39:49]
Jen Gracie
But, you know, I always tell people, if I don't answer your dm, I will definitely see an email. So please send me an email if it's important. I will definitely not overlook that.
- [40:00]
Arielle Okun
Yes. Well, Jen, this was such a pleasure. I am so, so excited for you about the book and everything you have going on, and I can't wait to see you soon. Me, too. And I'm just so grateful that we were on. So thank you.
- [40:12]
Jen Gracie
Yeah. I can't wait to give you a hug.
- [40:14]
Arielle Okun
I know. Me too.
- [40:16]
Jen Gracie
All right, Ariel, have a great weekend.
- [40:18]
Arielle Okun
Thank you so much. You, too. Take care.
- [40:20]
Jen Gracie
Thanks.
- [40:21]
Arielle Okun
Bye. Bye.
- [40:22]
Narrator
That's a wrap for this week's episode of Talk Shop. Thanks for listening. We'll be back next week with more thoughtful discussions and amazing guests. Follow us on Apple podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, so you never miss an episode. And, of course, follow me at Arielokin. See you next week.