Celeb Designer Brigette Romanek Launches Her First Furniture Collection with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and It’s Total Livable Luxury
No disrespect to actor Scott Foley of “Scandal” and “Felicity” fame (or designer Fernando Mastrangelo, for that matter), but the highlight of watching HBO Max’s “Ellen’s Next Great Designer” competition series for me earlier this year — other than seeing the designers make beautiful furnishings in what must have felt like a pressure cooker-like atmosphere — was getting a further glimpse into the home and decorating philosophy of LA-based designer Brigette Romanek. As an interior designer for celebs like Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Misty Copeland, Romanek has made a name for herself through reconciling form and function in her interiors with total finesse, and that’s probably why Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams tapped her for a new home collaboration that’s launching today.
Organized into the Lucy and LA collections, the seven-piece line marks Romanek’s first foray into furniture design. Fans of her “livable luxe” aesthetic will certainly appreciate the level of craftsmanship and detail in these North Carolina-made furnishings — and the fact that these features don’t come at the expense of coziness, comfort, or quality. Inspired by her life in LA, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs, these pieces aren’t precious. Sure, they look good and have a little bit of vintage Hollywood glamour to them, but the idea is to really live your life on them with the hopes that one day, they’ll achieve modern heirloom status.
Romanek’s “Lucy” collection, which comes in a sofa, chair, or left- or right-arm daybed form (as shown directly above), caught my eye first. With its oval-shaped seat and tube-like cushion channel back construction, I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of like this in the market (particularly at this price point). This silhouette nails the whole trendy and timeless thing — particularly when rendered in any of MG+BW’s velvet (here in saffron yellow) or bouclé colorways. That being said, all of the pieces can be customized in over 600 fabrics and 20 wood finishes, so you can really make anything here work for you and the rest of your existing decor.
The “LA” collection — a bed, sofa, accent chair and matching ottoman (shown at the top of this piece) — is decidedly more relaxed in form but still feels tailored, thanks to its mix of curvy and clean lines. I love the wood plinth bases each of these pieces sit on, and I think we’re going to be seeing a lot more of this kind of a feature going forward. The wood adds a touch of refinement and height to lower-slung shapes.
The last item in the assortment is the Dell Swivel Chair, which Romanek favors in creamy bouclé or light blue leather, the colorway shown here, which she told me feels like a quintessentially coastal LA hue. A take on the classic barrel chair, this particular piece spins a full 360-degrees on a wooden base as well, which makes the shape feel fresh again.
Prices for the collection start at $1,534.00, and MG+BW club members receive a 25 percent discount off of pricing. Certain finishes are in stock, while custom colors do require special order. Even if you’re not in the market for new furniture or the line’s a little spendy for you, take a look at the lookbook and collection video. Shot in Romanek’s home, there’s plenty of free styling inspiration in those images.