Getting his inspiration off the rack
HE tackled those lovable, design-challenged men on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” He put his stamp on the W Hotel in Westwood. He even took on J. Lo. Now designer Thom Filicia is embracing a group that he has sidestepped on television: women.
On “Dress My Nest,” a reality series that premiered Wednesday night on the Style Network, Filicia ditches the guys for some female fashionistas. Using the women’s favorite outfits as inspiration, Filicia and stylist Erika Martin transform drab rooms into spaces that reflect the client’s unique fashion sense.
Filicia recently was in Los Angeles to film 10 episodes, the first of which features a 29-year-old dental hygienist obsessed with Hello Kitty. Undaunted by all that pink, Filicia dove into the makeover and made time for a Q&A; about fashion, personality and why interior design can seem so scary.
Question: What we wear often conveys how we feel about ourselves: sexy, confident, shy. Are our homes really the same?
Answer: Your interiors should be a reflection of who you are. When you walk into people’s home, you should be able to get a sense of their personality or their point of view. Clothing is similar. You can look at people and the way they carry themselves, and you know what makes them tick. The jewelry, the accessories, the shoes, the belt, the color, the lack of color, the pattern, the lack of pattern will tell you if someone is adventurous or fun or relaxed.
You can open up someone’s closet and really get a sense of who they are. Are they classic? Are they trendy? Are they modern? Are they easy-breezy? Is it about flip-flops and linen shirts, or formal clothing and lace-up shoes?
What makes you cringe when you walk into someone’s home? Clearly not Hello Kitty.
People who don’t do anything at all because they are paralyzed by fear of making a mistake. My whole point of view is that there are no rules. People who want their interiors to be different always tell me, “I didn’t know what to do,” or “I was so afraid to start. I bought the paint but I never put it on the wall.” You can put a coat of paint on the wall and live with it. It may not be right, but it’s the first step.
About that Hello Kitty room. How did you handle that?
I didn’t look at it as just a Hello Kitty product. It was about breaking the outfit down and building it back up again. I asked myself, “What are the colors we’re dealing with here?” Her outfit had pink, green, fresh crisp white and denim, so I developed a color palette.
The Hello Kitty episode demonstrates that you can take something that you love -- something that is truly age inappropriate -- and put a twist on it and make it work. It’s not about pretending to be someone you’re not. It’s about figuring out who you are. Make it something that fuels your passion and your inspiration. That ownership and feeling of being connected is what will make you happy, whether it’s through your clothing or your home.
You were pretty brutal with some of those guys on “Queer Eye.” You called it “tough love.” Are you gentler with the women on “Dress My Nest”? You haven’t made anyone cry, have you?
It’s all about personality. If you meet someone and she’s feisty and she wants to have fun, then you have fun with her. If they’re a little more reserved or intimidated by the process, then you respond to that. It’s like meeting someone at a cocktail party -- you know who you can swear in front of and who you can’t.
Why no men on the show?
I had just come off of doing “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” for almost four years. Women were always coming up to me and asking, “When are you going to do a show for women?” I think people started to think of me as just designing for men. It’s fun for me to do things that are a little more feminine.
I’m totally open to doing “Dress My Nest” with guys. I’m not discriminating!
Money constraints affect our fashion and interior design choices. Prada and Nakashima are a fantasy for many. How do you make design dreams become a reality when you’re on a budget?
There are great solutions at everyone’s price point, now more than ever. IKEA is the perfect example of very good design at an affordable price. I think it has wonderful things, and I use them on the show. I mix them with antiques and very expensive things when I have the opportunity.
Good design is good design. There are many inexpensive things that are very good-looking, such as lighting or accent pieces, which are great ways to be adventurous. You can find a lamp at a tag sale and spray paint it white. Or take a great pair of dining chairs that are super traditional for five bucks apiece at a yard sale and spray paint them in pink or green to give them a new twist. Take fabric from a vintage store -- IKEA has great vintage-inspired fabric -- and recover the seat cushions. All of a sudden you have something that was down and drab and traditional, and now it’s zippy and fun.
Fashion and interior design also share the beauty-versus-comfort dilemma. Stilettos are sexy but uncomfortable. Jacobsen chairs are sculptural but don’t work for a kid sitting down to do homework.
There is nothing wrong with liking things that are uncomfortable. You just have to choose to put those things in places where they are an option.
I have used furniture that is beautiful and sculptural, but I wouldn’t put it in a media room. Instead, place it an entrance hall where you might tie your shoes or place your bag. A concrete sofa at a bus stop makes sense. A concrete sofa in your TV room? Not a good idea.
A great interior is a place to be with your friends and family. If they’re not comfortable there, then they’re not going to want to be there. I have been in some of the most austere, clean and crisp interiors which were still warm and inviting through the use of light, textures and color.
If you have pieces that you love that are more about design than function, they should be involved but not essential. Think of them as the third layer. The major pieces that you use every day should balance out those impractical pieces that make a space more interesting.
Not everyone has a natural sense of style, though.
Most of the people on “Dress My Nest” are people who have a great sense of personal fashion but don’t understand home decor. You often see people whose homes don’t represent them at all. Their homes may be beautiful, but they don’t tell their story the way their clothing does.
Interiors are intimidating. People get dressed every day. I think looking to your fashion for answers provides a road map for people to navigate things that they clearly don’t understand.
Some of your most memorable “Queer Eye” makeovers were transformations of minuscule New York apartments. Was it an adjustment for you to work in Los Angeles?
New York is a great city, but I have to say L.A. has some of the best resources for interior design. You can go to a store in L.A. and walk out with a dining room table. In New York, you have to order it and wait.
There are beautiful homes here, and people are very house proud. I love the way homes open up to the backyard, and that you can do great indoor-outdoor things such as outdoor living rooms.
New York poses a lot of obstacles in terms of making things work, but it’s a great proving ground for figuring out if you have creative concepts. Once you’ve mastered making a small, badly lit, badly ventilated space look fabulous, you can go anywhere.
You have your own design firm and have the opportunity to do big-budget work. Why these modest makeovers?
I look at it as my couture versus my off the rack. There is a synergy between the two.
There are more resources than ever, from Crate & Barrel to West Elm to Restoration Hardware, and they are getting much more complete and well-rounded from window treatments to accessories. At the same time, as you have more options, you need more solutions. You need to know how to navigate all of what’s out there.
The makeovers are fun, they’re fast and very gratifying. It keeps me connected to retail and middle-market interior design, which is an ever-growing market.
What do you want people to learn from the show?
That interior design is fun. That it’s about personalizing your interior and being confident in your style.
Look for your design point of view through your fashion. If you are someone who cannot pinpoint or describe or explain the spirit of your home, or what you would like it to be, then use your clothing as a springboard. It’s all about making your own rules and learning from yourself. It’s about looking to yourself for answers.
