Erica Tanov is a San Francisco-based designer known for the sense of well-being she elicits in her designs, whether it’s in her women’s wear, homeware, or store design. After studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York, she launched her eponymous collection in 1990 with a dedication to fine fabrics, meticulous construction, and subtle details. She returned to the Bay Area in 1994 to open her first retail store and has since opened stores in Marin and Los Angeles. Her collections are available at her stores and a few specialty retailers worldwide. Learn more about Erica Tanov and her design in today’s Maker Monday.
The bold and modern “Jacobsen” wallpaper is inspired by the end papers of vintage leather-bound books.
Andrew Joseph: You’re the newest Crayola color. What color are you and why?
Erica Tanov: Palest Blush. It’s quiet and delicate but can have a big impact. It complements and works well with many colors yet is strong and perhaps most effective on its own.
AJ: What is the last book you read?
ET: “Time is a Mother” by Ocean Vuong. I usually don’t read poetry but I read his novel “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” a while ago and fell in love with his writing which is incredibly intimate, painfully tender and deeply personal – like nothing I had ever read before. When I heard a new book of his would be coming out, I preordered it months in advance
AJ: If you could live in any home in a movie or television series, what would it be?
ET: The Italian villa in the movie “I Am Love“. I actually don’t recall many details, I just remember the feeling with which I was left after the movie. The grace, grandness and history of the architecture alone is astounding.
The metallic gold Fern Wallpaper acts as a striking accent wallpaper to go along with the Fern in Dove pillow and duvet set in this bedroom.
AJ: If you weren’t a designer, you’d be a ….?
ET: A horticulturist or gardener. Something where I can dig my hands into dirt, feeling connected to the earth.
AJ: What would your dream project or dream client be right now?
ET: I would love to design the rooms of a boutique hotel, creating relaxed, understated, lived-in luxurious spaces that people wouldn’t want to leave.
AJ: Are you a pet person? Why either way? Dogs or cats?
ET: Yes – DOGS!! 100%. They are absolutely the best. Dogs give unconditional love and can be such a calming presence. I believe everyone should have a dog to help stay grounded and balanced.
Earthy, bold, and subtly glamorous, the Fern Wallpaper in dark chocolate on a charcoal background brings out the depth and opulence of a forest and brings it into your home.
AJ: How would you define your work in three words?
ET: FINDING EVERYDAY BEAUTY.
AJ: Must-have clothing item everyone should have in their closet?
ET: The Maude slip! The most versatile piece of clothing.
AJ: Which room in the house do you find yourself working from the most? Why? How does this inform your thoughts about architecture?
ET: During COVID I have mostly been working from my home studio, which we refer to as the Treehouse. It was originally a covered sun porch that the former owners enclosed with windows, so the room has 2 walls of windows that are surrounded by oak trees. I sit and stare out at the leaves, squirrels and birds which provides a sense of calm and grounding. A good place to start the creative process.
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