It takes just a glance at the joyful prints and palette of her brand to realise Tory Burch is a consummate colourist. It’s a skill that infuses her whole life, as we discovered when we visited the designer in her New York home.
“I see my life in colour. It’s the first thing I notice. I’m drawn to the way colours interact with and complement one another… The subtle variations within the same shade: navy, cornflower and periwinkle, or orange, mandarin and coral. Living in full colour is my guiding principle—from the way I raise my children to the way I approach my work.”
So reads Tory Burch’s introduction to her 2014 book, Tory Burch: In Color. Stepping into the designer’s home on New York’s Upper East Side, the words ring true.
Artfully layered furnishings, each in vibrant shades of red, orange or green, sit by opulent wallpaper or deco-style monochrome walls. Prints—of flora and fauna, geometric, all ebullient—are recurring fixtures. So are artworks, both large and small, Chinese pottery and old collectables. The overall effect is a luxurious riot of bright hues and patterns. “It’s eclectic,” says Burch, “and very much me.”
The suite life
Occupying an entire floor of the Pierre, a lavish Fifth Avenue hotel facing Central Park, it’s been home to Tory for 20 years, “although for the first four we [she, ex-husband Chris Burch and sons Henry, Nick and Sawyer] lived only in one of the apartments.”
Tory acquired the floor’s other apartment and hallway about 15 years ago and worked with her friend Daniel Romualdez, an architect and interior designer, to meld the spaces into one home. “The entire house is in constant evolution. It’s a combination of hand-me-downs, things I got from my parents, and objects I have collected over the years, set against a rather classic decor.”
(Related: Home Tour: A Penthouse With A Tropical Flair)
Feng shui dictates the layout. Tory has been interested in the Chinese philosophical system since opening her brand’s Hong Kong office in 2006, when one of her staff introduced her to it. She regularly consults feng shui masters on her properties, stores and even the Tory Burch headquarters in New York’s Flatiron district.