Hunker Down With Interior Designer Leyden Lewis
Photo by David A. Land
One of the trickiest parts of interior design is balancing form and function, especially when it comes to our homes. We want them to look like the interiors found in the glossy pages of our favorite shelter mags, but we also need them to leave room for ... well, life. From eating to sleeping to entertaining to working, our homes need to be multifunctional, stylish, and authentic to our personality. That's not too much to ask, right?
Well, not if your name is Leyden Lewis. This Brooklyn native, and exceptionally talented interior designer, has seemingly unlocked the secret to stylish, multipurpose living — regardless of the square footage. Perhaps that's a testament to growing up in New York, where making the most out of a tiny abode is pretty much an art form. Or, maybe it's just due to the 30+ years of experience that he has designing both residential and commercial projects around the globe. Either way, one look at Lewis's eclectic industrial studio apartment/office/art gallery (which he shares with his photogenic dog Nikka), it's clear that his talent knows no bounds — and I for one am definitely taking notes.
So it probably goes without saying that I was overjoyed to have an opportunity to hunker down with Lewis and learn more about what inspires him to create such beautiful interiors — including his own artfully curated home, which he poetically describes as, "... my theatre for life, [it's] an expression of my love for art."