Photo by Kate Jordan
Known for her organic approach to design, designer Jenny Wolf is expertly skilled at helping a client to focus in on and define their own style, often making use of pieces that they already have in their collection as a starting point for a project. Her efforts result in a home that not only functions beautifully for her client’s individual needs but is also a true reflection of their unique point of view. The homes she works on are elegant, layered and filled with charm. Since opening her own firm in 2011, she has enjoyed praise from Vogue, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful (to name only a few), has been added to Luxe Magazine “Gold List” and was named one of Traditional Home’s “Top 10 New Traditionals.”
Photo by Kate Jordan
For this designer, style is something that comes naturally to her. Growing up in a family that owned furniture stores, she spent her youth surrounded by design and retail. From a young age, she felt that opening a store would be in her future and after graduating college, she began building on her experience by taking a job with Ralph Lauren in Womenswear, managing retail development and opening shops in department and specialty stores. This led her to not only opening her own interior design firm but eventually a retail store as well, The Huntress New York, located in Pound Ridge.
Photo by Kate Jordan
Whether designing a Park Avenue penthouse or a Hamptons cottage, her work is a perfect blend of polished elegance and down-to-earth luxury. The spaces she designs feel welcoming in their beauty, never sterile or impersonal. They are places one wants to spend time in and enjoy discovering the nuances and details. She says of her work: “There is a great tension between all the elements that build a space. I’m always working on striking that balance, so we do not tip too far in one style direction. It’s about how the pieces relate to one another, so I feel that might be where my design skills come in. I’m really just trying to strike a balance in every room I create.”
Photo by Kate Jordan
This balance often comes in the form of old mixing with new. Her love of vintage and antiques is evident in her work which often uses them to great effect. She says of antiques, “They are the leading characters. It’s more about honoring the past for me and bringing those special unique pieces into the present. Antiques enrich a space a tell a story. I recently acquired my grandmother’s quilted floral chintz sofa which once lived in her grandparents’ apartment in the St. Regis in New York. It lived in her home in South Carolina for the last 60 years and then made its way back up here after she passed away. It brings me so much joy every time I look at it! It currently resides in my breakfast room and looks as chic today as it did back then! It’s actually held up too!”
Photo by Kate Jordan
Not only have her grandmother’s furnishings remained close to her heart, but her design sensibilities continue to have an impact on the designer to this day as well. “There are countless designers that have inspired me over the years-Albert Hadley/Bunny Williams/Steven Gambrel. Honestly, my maternal grandmother probably was one of most influential. She had a real laissez-faire attitude towards design and I loved how she used pieces she had inherited from her family and exhibited them in the most fashionable and approachable way.”
Photo by Kate Jordan
Other influences of note include Wolf’s Southern heritage. “I am a traditionalist at heart. My family was originally from New Orleans, so I grew up with an appreciation for European antiques and art. When we moved to South Carolina, I watched their belongings take on a new life paired with more natural elements-Seagrass rugs/fan coral/neutral linens. I feel this is really true to my style today-which took me sometime to understand that it was actually part of my history.”
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5 Questions with Designer Jenny Wolf
TLV: What are three words that describe your style?
JW: Approachable, Warm, Eclectic
TLV: Where do you look for inspiration?
JW: Travel. I try to pull myself out of my day to day to feel inspired. We designers must do that for ourselves.
TLV: Do you have a go to color combination? Or most beloved pattern?
JW: I used to get in trouble in design school for using too much pink and green! I do still love muted variations of these colors..blush/sage. I also feel a little bit of black in a room goes a long way, whether it’s a ticking stripe or my favorite print-Pyne Hollyhock..in black/white of course!
TLV: Is there an era or a design style that you are particularly inspired by?
JW: I love everything Gustavian! I like it even more when paired with modern pieces. In my home, I have beautiful Gustavian dining chairs paired with a Saarinen table and I just love the juxtaposition.
TLV: Most memorable keepsake from or piece purchased trip or found at a vintage shop or flea market?
JW: Wow I have too many to count. I just bought a large blush marble egg on a black marble stand on a recent trip to Paris at Paul Bert Serpette antique market. Eggs carry a lot of symbolism new beginnings for me and this one felt extremely timely and in my favorite color!
Photos Courtesy of Jenny Wolf/ Profile Photo by / Text by Liana Hayles Newton