At Home With — Fanny Singer, Los Angeles


Daughter to California's most progressive female cook Alice Waters, art historian, critic, and author Fanny Singer has been exposed to a certain approach to life, with the food at the center. A natural observer, Fanny's book Always Home is a memoir of her time spent growing up with food that is celebrated, within generous families, kitchens and gardens, and, of course, travel. 


"My parents’ friends’ homes were often places of immense curiosity and artistic flair and that exposure left a deep impression on me."

 

This zest for life and art is prevalent in Fanny's own daily routines. A lover of locally grown foods, artisanal handcrafted homewares, and the local creative community, Fanny has recently become a mother to her own daughter. Fanny is leading a life that is brimming with nourishment, growth, and creativity.   


Supporting her home's curiosities and art collection, our Bamboo Silk + Wool Blend Rug in Dusty Mauve acts as a soft neutral for the home's additional colours to bounce on and come alive. It is also the spot where their baby is learning to take her first steps, and a place where her family gather...

What comes to mind when you think of the colour mauve?


Mauve is not a colour I normally think of when it comes to decisions pertaining to interior design, but this rug has completely changed my perspective. It has made me realise that mauve can, in fact, be an extremely versatile neutral, capable of creating a soft foil to brighter accents, but not without personality and nuance. The colour reminds me of the sky at twilight when the sun has vanished and the eastern horizon takes on a dusky, rosy, slightly contused complexion.


How does it feel to walk and roll around on silk, (solo and as a family?)


Like heaven! I don’t think I’ve ever delighted in the feeling of a rug underfoot, but the plush, soft texture of this rug is almost voluptuous. Not to mention, it’s such a cozy, welcoming surface for my 10-month-old daughter to crawl around on.


Why is it important to you to have handcrafted objects around you at home?


I firmly believe in supporting artisanal craft (it’s a huge reason why I started my artisanal housewares business, Permanent Collection, in 2016). Not only does it sustain local, independent designers and makers, but it also helps to keep craft traditions alive. When something is made with care it is, in my opinion, almost inherently beautiful. The subtle reflection of a maker’s hand is what makes an object feel special and worthy of investment. Not to mention, handcrafted objects endure for so much longer than their mass-produced counterparts.


Why is it important for you to be surrounded by colourful objects in your home?


I’ve always loved colourful, eccentric palettes in people’s homes — my parents’ friends’ homes were often places of immense curiosity and artistic flair and that exposure left a deep impression on me. But I’m also an art historian and art critic who’s spent the entirety of her life looking at art of all kinds. I think an appreciation of colour follows naturally from that level of engaged looking, how could it not? You learn so much about color by observing how other people use it.


How would you describe your home?


Eclectic. Cozy. Homey. Probably a bit overcrowded, if I’m being honest.


When I started Permanent Collection I was emphatic that the pieces we released would be defined by a pared-down, neutral, and what I considered to be ‘universal’ aesthetic — objects that could fit into the context of anybody’s home, from the most minimal to the most flamboyant.


I still believe in making such objects, but we definitely have some projects slated for release this fall that will introduce some of the funkiness of my personal aesthetic into the collection.



Fanny Singer is photographed by Greta van der Star at her Los Angeles home. 


Our Bamboo Silk + Wool Blend Rug in Dusty Mauve anchors the living room.