A native of Arizona, Lau would receive a master’s in fine and decorative art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art and work for Thomas O’Brien’s Aero and Lin-Weinberg Gallery before founding her namesake firm in 2001. Her own practice would go on to focus on residential interiors that were sophisticated and artistic, meaningful and livable, and that represented her keen curatorial eye.
Lau’s creative talent is reflected in the partners who sought to work with her. She collaborated on installations with a variety of brands, including Kohler, Bergdorf Goodman, Baccarat, and the Showtime television network, and served as a spokesperson for Benjamin Moore’s 2010-2011 “Paint with the Very Best” campaign. She also created collections of cowhide rugs and pillows for Kyle Bunting, colorful wool-and-silk rugs for Doris Leslie Blau, wallcoverings for Maya Romanoff, a fabric collection for S. Harris, and mosaic tiles for Heath Ceramics.
Widely published and highly celebrated for her contributions both to design and philanthropy, Lau served as Co-Chair for the ASPCA’s Bergh Ball, as Design Chair for the Fourth Annual Hamptons Holiday House, published a monograph in 2011, and was bestowed with an honorary doctorate from New York School of Interior Design. In 2005, she co-created Design.05, which would go on to become the Design Miami Fair, and, in 2017, she became the first interior designer invited to exhibit by Salon Art + Design.
In a tribute on social media, her firm celebrated Lau as “a true visionary and inspiration” who “dedicated her life to creating warm and inviting spaces, touching countless lives with her passion and unique style.”
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