Making his furniture design debut, media personality Tan France unveils a new 18-piece collection for Castlery including furniture, lighting and accessories. As a celebrity approaching a design collaboration, France was aware of the challenges the project posed: 'I didn’t want to (...) select items from an already-designed collection and put my name on it,' he tells Wallpaper*. Instead, the Queer Eye star got designing, his South Asian and British heritage firmly in mind as he drew from the places and aesthetics that have shaped his early years.
'Living between cultures and countries has taught me that home isn’t just somewhere you live, it’s something you create, wherever you are,' he says to introduce the collection, which includes highlights such as a blown glass table lamp in three colours, and a sofa imagined as a centrepiece based on everyday comfort.
Here, France tells Wallpaper* how interior design and identity are inextricably linked.
7 Questions with Tan France
Wallpaper*: When did you first become aware of the concept of design within the context of a home or interior?
Tan France: When I was a teen, I finally got my own room (an attic bedroom) and was allowed to decorate it however I wanted. I had a weekend job and had saved some money, so I spent what I had on making the room look like a cohesive space. Seems simple enough, but it was a completely foreign concept to my family, at the time, to decorate for both function and aesthetics.
W*: Do you have any memories of your childhood home?
TF: Yes, I had a home that blended western and eastern cultures. I didn’t realize the significance at the time, but when it came to designing my home in Salt Lake City, I knew I wanted to do a hybrid of British and South Asian, to make it feel like home.
W*: What is your approach to your own home?
TF: My approach to designing my home, and my collection, is the same. I want items that feel familiar but with a unique touch. I want to feel that the vibe has come from one, unwavering lens. For my home, I wanted to have everything one would have in a home like this, but with design details that represented my past, and my life with my American husband.
W*: This is your first furniture collaboration: what was important for you to convey with this launch?
TF: Firstly, I wanted to actually design. I didn’t want to do a celebrity collection, where I select items from an already designed collection and put my name on it. I wanted to show (...) that I had a unique perspective and that what is created could only be designed by someone from my background and cultures. Start to finish. Secondly, I wanted to convey a sense of it being for you, too. Even though the items all have a (very gentle) South Asian and British touch, it can work for those of you who are neither of those things but still want unique pieces.
W*: Your family’s culture and heritage have been important in shaping you: how does this reflect in your design choices, and how has this influenced this collection?
TF: The scalloped details from South Asia and England really influenced the collection. It's something that I saw dotted around my house, but also around the UK on what were traditional English buildings. That was the main inspiration behind the collection. I wanted the collection to feel so singular. One that could truly have only been created by me, so using my two cultural touch points felt like the right jumping off point.
W*: What are key pieces that are important to you, or that encapsulate the spirit of the collection, and why?
TF: It's really hard to choose, as I designed only items that are all important to me. However, I am obsessed with my lamp. I think it's the perfect balance of play and sophistication to bring newness to any space. And I'm crazy about my sofa. I think the wooden details make it feel so darn unique. I have the lamps in my home already and love them. I also have the side table which I think is stunning.
W*: Do you have any of these in your own home, and how do you use them?
TF: Yes, I have the large mirror, with the scalloped detail, in my guest house, as I wanted to infuse a little more detail to that space. I have the lamps dotted around the house, in my living room, kitchen and bedroom. And the side tables now flank my guest bedroom bed. I will be receiving the rest of my collection next week and I’ll be using every darn piece. I can’t wait!