In Good Company: Jayne and Joan Michaels
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Making headlines are the compelling duo Jayne and Joan Michaels of
The 2Michaels embody a provocative portraiture of being wildly attractive,
lovers of modern, thoughtful design and arbiters of sophisticated taste.
During their early years in Palm Springs, California and during stints abroad,
their modernist vocabulary became well honed.
The ability to make everyone feel a part of the 2Michaels envelope
is part of their graceful ascent into the top-tier of New York designers.
Watching Jayne and Joan create their own perspective on the world of interiors,
reinforces the idea that this pair is right on target.
To read more about them, go here, to see their work, visit the upcoming Kips Bay Show House in October.
Enjoy The Good Company of 2Michaels Design.
Jayne Micheals
D: Best Lunch Spot?
Jayne: Nougatine at Jean Georges. It has a sparkly, elegant and relaxed atmosphere. It is the perfect spot to meet a friend, business associate or an out of town guest.
D: Best Working Tools?
Jayne: I have about ten measuring tapes, a small digital camera and a notebook.
D: Favorite Museum?
Jayne: The Phillips Museum in Washington. It’s a small jewel. I will never forget my excitement at discovering the paintings of Arthur Dove and Milton Avery. Each time I go there, I find something new.
D: Favorite Color Combination?
Jayne: I love the unexpected, bold color palette of Giorgio De Chirico – rich teal, mustard, persimmon and mole grey.
D: Something you would like others to know about you?
Jayne: That I am a passionate cook and lover of water – to be near water, to hear the sound of water and of course, to swim. I am also an obsessive researcher.
D: Who or what are your current design icons?
Jayne: I would have to say Joe D’Urso, Calvin Tsao, Victoria Hagen and Jacques Grange have inspired and influenced me. All of their interior projects are restrained yet relaxed, poetic and timeless.
D: What is your idea of a perfect weekend?
Jayne: Planning a menu for a small dinner party, going to the market, cooking all day, relaxing with close friends over a simple meal and beautiful bottle of wine.
D: What makes you belly laugh?
Jayne: My dog Maiza is a natural comedian; she also embarrasses me quite often.
D: Current obsessions?
Jayne: The Dada movement, birds and birdcages, Buddhism, dreams, sanctuaries.
D: Favorite Charity?
Jayne: I have a few charities that I am proud to be a part of; DIFFA , Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. In addition, what Ken Wampler is doing with the Alpha Workshops organization is truly remarkable.
Joan Micheals
D: Best Lunch Spot?
Joan: The Park. I like the relaxed atmosphere; it reminds me of Big Sur in the 1960’s. I still watch the film “The Sand Piper” for the stunning scenery. Every time I go to The Park, I think of that movie.
D: Best Working Tools?
Joan: My blackberry.
D: Favorite Museum?
Joan: The Uffizi in Florence. I lived in Florence for a couple of months and spent many hours there studying the works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Giotto, Masaccio, and Giorgione. The beauty and serenity of The Uffizi was life changing for me.
D: Favorite Color Combination?
Joan: I am passionate about Scandinavian design, especially the rugs by Marta Mass Fjetterstrom. I love the subtlety of the color palette – the smudgy blues, ochres, silvery greens and toasty browns. They are warm and cool, soft and strong.
D: Something you would like others to know about you?
Joan: I love anything British, especially the “swinging 60’s” period. I am also a diehard dog lover.
D: Who or what are your current design icons?
Joan: Franco Albini, Florence Lopez, Isle Crawford, and Rick Owens.
D: What is your idea of a perfect weekend?
Joan: Being in Amagansett, NY. Swimming in the bay, having dinner with family and friends, and sleeping in late.
D: What makes you belly laugh?
Joan: Woody Allen/Diane Keaton movies. Annie Hall, Love and Death, Sleeper, Manhattan.
D: Current obsessions?
Joan: French design from the 1970’s, Pierre Cardin, and German AD.
D: Favorite Charity?
Joan: DIFFA, ASPCA, and The Design Trust for Public Spaces.
Top photograph of Jayne and Joan Michaels used by permission, copyright © Douglas Friedman
All additional photographs used by permission, copyright © 2MichaelsDesign
