New York-based AD-100 designer Joe Nahem approaches every interior design project with effortless elegance. He is lauded for his deftly layered interiors and his ability to combine rare vintage pieces and world-class art with custom designs he commissions from artists and craftspeople all over the world. He has won the hearts of some loyal clients, ranging from the Hollywood elite and Wall Street brokers to high profile art collectors.
He is leading the interior design firm Fox-Nahem Associates, which has consistently received the industry’s top accolades, including Architectural Digest’s AD100, Elle Decor’s A-List, Luxe Interiors + Design’s Gold List, and New York Magazine’s Top 100. Joe Nahem’s work is also chronicled in the monograph, Fox-Nahem, The Design Vision of Joe Nahem, for which Robert Downey Jr., a Fox-Nahem client, wrote the foreword.
Joe Nahem revealed to LARRY’S LIST why he is thankful for social media outlets, like Instagram, for his projects; what changes he has witnessed in the interior design field throughout his three decades of experience; what artworks he missed rent payments in order to buy in his early twenties; as well as his advice to young designers.
11 Questions with AD-100 Designer Joe Nahem
What is your number-one rule when designing a space to best compliment an art collection?
Number One Rule – do not have any “rules”. Each collection is different, as each space and client are different.
How was your experience collaborating with art collectors? How do they differentiate from your other clients?
As our firm has been fortunate to work with many major collectors and gallery owners, they don’t differentiate much from non-collectors. While, of course, their collections are a major factor, most clients still want their homes to be beautiful, practical, and serve their family’s and guest’s needs.
What are some of your personal favorite artists that you love to see in collector homes?
Wow, that is tough as my “favorites” constantly change. I typically respond to the art clients’ collections when their choices are driven by passion but not fads, nor investment.
Interiors and art often seem to be in flawless harmony. Yet, we know from our collectors that artworks eventually change. How do you design timeless interiors that can accommodate an evolving art collection?
Great question! That is a challenge, as all collectors — at every level — tend to add and subtract from their collections. (Try hoisting a HUGE Damien Hirst Pill-Box over Park Avenue, only to remove it a few years later when clients sold it.) Several things need to be factored in when renovating these spaces, including: preparing behind walls with plywood to accommodate the changing art and placements, using wall surfaces that can be “repaired” when different scale art is used in replacing the previous, and making sure lighting is adjustable for the same.
In the art world we sometimes see artworks and art installations that look stunning in the .jpg but then when seeing the actual works, they are comparatively disappointing. Do you create your interiors for the image in the magazine or for daily living? How do you balance the need for creating liveable usable spaces with curating that “Instagram moment”?
Yes, this is a constant and real challenge. As we often work with existing collections, we work with our clients and their art advisers to try and pre-determine where much of the collection will hang, or, at least, the larger-scale pieces. With that, we then often do elevations of the walls and drop photos of the art pieces in, so client can see how these pieces will look in the space. Additionally, we often have full renderings of the projected spaces and can photoshop in the pieces to these renderings for everyone to see. It is time-consuming, but well worth it. With all of that, inevitably, there are still some changes as pieces actually get installed.
With three decades of experience, what changes have you witnessed in the interior design field? Have you come across more or younger art collectors?
Ha, way too many to mention. It seems as I get older, clients/collectors get younger. Clients, of every age group, seem to have so much more exposure to everything. Being bombarded, all day, with images from so may outlets, including social media, has had a massive impact on how we process what we believe our clients are looking for. This seems to change daily.
As a tastemaker, are there any trends from your perspective you could share with us? What can we expect to see in your future projects?
We typically like to shy away from “trends” as with the previously mentioned exposure to social media, the trends seem to go out as quickly as they come in. Of course, we are forever staying on top of what is new and noteworthy; and for that, I am thankful for outlets like Instagram. We have been doing more video art and encouraging clients to incorporate these pieces into the large-scale TV screens that sit black/blank in their spaces. We have also just installed a 3-meter, solid video wall in a Miami project.
What advice would you give to a young designer in finding their own unique perspective in interior design? Or even to a young collector looking to create a minimalist space at home?
As cliché as it may sound, don’t be afraid to try what you think is right, and not be overly concerned about how many “LIKES” you’re going to get.
Could you tell us more about your own art collection? Which pieces are closest to your heart?
I am fortunate to have started collecting from a very early age. In my early twenties, I acquired a Warhol Jackie silkscreen, an important photo by Robert Frank, and a Cardbird piece by Robert Rauschenberg. Definitely missed a few rent payments to get these (LOL). I have learned so much from our clients who collect, as well as my brother Edward Nahem (@edwardtnahemfineart) who has always inspired me. Our collection consist of pieces by George Condo, Richard Prince, Hernan Bas, Walton Ford, Os Gemeos, Jose Parla, Cindy Sherman, Aya Takano, Tal R and many lesser-known artists. Collecting is a joy for us.
Do you also do the art sourcing for your clients? If yes, how do you do it? Do you work with galleries, commission artists directly, etc.? Any memorable experiences?
Again, as most of our clients come to us with collections, we are involved in placing and hanging the collection. On some occasions, there are clients that look to us to advise on procuring art, and that can be fun. We recently finished a large new apartment in Brooklyn, and the clients were not interested in investing in art. We helped put together a small collection, all from artists we met through Instagram. The clients … and the artists were thrilled.
Can you share 5 of your most inspirational IG accounts?
@larrys_list, @andy_villasana, @leagueoto, @rio_hamilton, and @m.a.r.c.c.o.s.t.a.
Related: Fox-Nahem
Instagram: @foxnahem
By Ricko Leung
