Fashion designer Adam Lippes is obsessed with interiors. Bringing his love of antiques and vintage pieces to his homes in both Brooklyn and the Berkshires, Adam has crafted one-of-a-kind spaces that reflect his personal taste and affection for English country style. With the trained eye of a true collector, he has developed an enviable collection of finds to rival any interior designer. And today, he’s ready to share.
The designer’s collection of antiques and personal favorites is now available as part of a curation of all his favorites right here on Chairish. Best of all, part of the proceeds will be benefitting God’s Love We Deliver, making sure our joint obsession for antiques serves an excellent purpose.
Read on to learn more about Adam’s passion for interiors and to see some of the pieces from his lovingly curated collection. And find out why he’s one of those rare people who actually likes to move.
On Collecting…
You’re selling a curated collection of vintage and antique items on Chairish. How did you become a collector and how did you acquire most of these pieces?
My father is a consummate collector and has been since I was very little, so I really grew up around it. My first bedroom that I decorated when I was a kid, probably around age 10, was filled with antiques that I found, so it’s very much in my blood. It’s something I really like to do, not only to collect and own, but I also enjoy the process of collecting, which involves lots of looking. For me, especially in the fashion industry, it expands my mind. I see patterns, colors, and shapes put together in ways I hadn’t thought about. So that’s how collecting is really… It’s one of my main hobbies.
I actually enjoy the process of moving — most people hate it but I love it, because it gives you the freedom to move on and design a new space. Therefore even though I may love something, it may not be right for my space at this time. One thing I’ve learned as a collector, and that my father always said, is “there’s always more.” So in that way, there is always more. Part of the search is the fun of placing that furniture or object in your home. I think the most fun part about decorating is that you can just try. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. There’s always more.
While all of your pieces are “must haves,” are there two or three pieces that you think should be scooped up and if so, which ones?
There is an incredible, very sexy low-slung dresser, an Italian mid-century dresser that is just so beautifully made. It doesn’t fit aesthetically into the places I have now, and I was tempted just to put it in storage and keep it. It’s really a special piece. There’s also a hand-knotted rug that I bought at a major auction house that’s about six inches too big for my current room. It’s so beautiful and the colors are amazing. I was thinking, “oh maybe for my next place I should keep it,” but then I remember there’s always more.
What do you find most compelling about Chairish?
I love the hunt — collecting is a hunt. But now that hunt is online. Period. It just is. It’s opened up a world to people, and Chairish is a key part of that hunt. As much as you have a great search algorithm, people still have to look for things. I love the search and the discovery; I find that exciting. And I think Chairish offers all price points, and I feel there are some other places that don’t do that. And to me, it’s important — when you can buy an 18th-century cabinet on Chairish for less than you can at a furniture store on Broadway in Soho, that’s pretty exciting.
What are some of your favorite pieces on Chairish now?
- LuRu Home for Casa Cosima Skirted Slipper Chair, Prussian Carp, Paprika
- Post-War Design Italian Venetian Murano Chandelier
- Hollywood Regency Red and Gilt Tole Mirror
- Emile Galle, Nancy Dishes and Serving Dish in Blues and Gold – Set of 7
- Biedermeier Gnarled Birch Armchairs in Ostrich Leather, Pair
- 1960’s Numbered Tumblers
Are there any dream vintage/antique “gets” you wish you could have? What’s a dream piece for you?
For me, it’s not that there’s one thing I’m coveting. It really is this mix of finding something that I fall in love with and can also afford. And that can take a long time. When I come across a great piece of furniture, I will buy it if I can, regardless of whether I have a place to put it then and there — I will find a place to put it. And I will move things around, hence one reason why I’m selling on Chairish. It’s not like I covet one thing and say, “I wish I could have xyz.” If pushed, I could say “I wish I could have a Rothko painting,” but things get so crazy, that I don’t know if I wish I had that. I don’t know if I wish I had the finest William Kent table. I don’t think I do. I fall in love with things at all different price points, with all different ideas, from a hooked American rug that I cherish to the most expensive 18th-century Portuguese rug I own. I collect very much like a person who buys a lot of clothing — I buy it because I love it.
On Aesthetics & Designers…
You have places in Brooklyn and the Berkshires. How do you go about setting up the different aesthetics in each place?
Over time, my aesthetic has come together in a unified way, actually. I used to have a much more modern style in New York, and the country was more a mix of old English, Italian, and French. But it was really driven primarily by the space where I live. I’m a mover — I love to move. I’m currently in two buildings that were built around the same era, both in the Berkshires and in Brooklyn Heights, so the feeling of the interiors is very similar. It is very much an eclectic, classic mix… sort of Wintergarden-esque, which at least to me, means a mix of period furniture, Biedermeier, lots of wicker, lots of greenery, needlepoint rugs. Dressed up but comfortable.
Where do you think your love of the English countryside and English style comes from?
I don’t really know… one of the silver linings of the last year is having reversed my time in the Berkshires vs. in the city… now I’m spending most of the week in the Berkshires and two days a week in New York City. The Berkshires have become my home and I’ve loved that — I enjoy being able to walk outside and spend time in the garden. My mother was also an avid gardener, so maybe it comes from that.
Shop Adam Lippes' Personal Antiques
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You have a beautiful line of tableware through OKA. How did you start that collaboration, and how would you describe your collection?
OKA is a brand that was created by Annabel Astor about 25 years ago with an elegant English aesthetic. It’s beautifully designed, but not very expensive. To go to the source and work with an English brand like that was exciting. The line launched during the height of COVID, which — who could have known — but the home category is doing very well right now, and we’re going to expand that collection in the next year.
Who are some fashion designers and industry folks with the best taste in interiors?
The one that stands out the most is Valentino, obviously — genius. The emperor. And then probably Dries Van Noten, who has extraordinary interiors, from his stores to his home in Belgium. The gardens there are just incredible. Those two really stand out for me. And of course Oscar de la Renta’s interiors were incredible, and Bill Blass as well.
Some Favorites…
Favorite way to create a statement-making moment in a room:
Lighting
Favorite iconic piece of vintage design:
In fact, I really dislike “iconic” vintage design. I tend to like things that are a little off, and a little off doesn’t lend itself to being iconic.
Favorite decorating cheap thrill:
Paint
Favorite paint color:
Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball
Favorite decor piece in your home:
I inherited a French clock from my mother. It’s beautiful and sentimental to me and I would try to carry it out if I had a fire (although it’s eight feet tall).
Favorite designer from the past you most often turn to for inspiration:
Mongiardino
Design destination every decor lover should visit at least once:
A French flea market
Best piece of career advice you’ve ever received:
When I started this brand, Oscar de la Renta said “do yourself a favor and start small,” and I didn’t… and I wish I had listened!
Favorite vacation destination (next time you travel becomes an option):
It’s all I dream of. India. Udaipur, specifically.
Favorite podcast:
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow:
Remy Renzullo, Carlos Mota, Mark Broch, Francis York Living, Sophie Pinet
Favorite hostess (or thank you) gift:
Favorite flower:
It’s a close tie between a peony and a sweet pea.
All photographs by William Waldron
