| RYAN KORBAN by Susanna Salk for 1stdibs
INTRO:
Interior designer Ryan Korban has, at the tender age of twenty-five, established himself as a downtown design force, helming commercial and residential projects for some of the boldest-faced names in the fashion, movie and music worlds with an eye that is both determined and fresh. “I think people are drawn to my use of old-world ideals,” explains Korban of his success. “Even in these urban settings, I strive to bring a revival of lost romance.”
Hometown
Philadelphia
Current home base?
Soho, New York City
It all began when
As early as five, whether my parents were having friends over for dinner or it was time to decorate the Christmas tree, I was always drawn to creating environments.
Early influences
It was definitely hotels: Seeing proper floral arrangements at places like the Ritz Carlton as a young boy immediately struck and stayed with me. I loved the grandness of their scale.
Schooled…
I went to Quaker school from fifth grade on. The Quakers believe in simplicity and my work is not simple by any means. As a result, I am drawn to things that feel over the top because my school environment was so stark. On the other hand, the romance of the Quaker setting is very much at the core of what I do. I remember one year my school did the play The Crucible in its meeting house and to see that environment come to life in such a historic way was a major turning point for me. It lead to my obsession with history, space and tradition.
Big break
Designing Edon Manor — the Tribeca women’s accessories boutique I co-own with my business partner Davinia Wang. It looks like a glamorous English library and has everything from Balenciaga to china sets. People in my life had always known about my passion for interior design but once the store was born, it was like it was truly official. And the phone then started to really ring!
Define luxury
Luxury is definitely a feeling to me. It’s using beautiful things and taking something precious and not treating it like a trophy.
Learning on the job
I work with fashion designer Alexander Wang a lot. His showroom was my first. We paired a sense of minimalism with classic moldings and aged panel mirrors. Alex has taught me so much about editing and being modern. I really enjoy studying fashion designers and their relationships to their environments. Figuring out what a brand looks like, or feels like or smells like, is so fascinating to me.
Current projects
I just finished Alexander Wang's first flagship store in Soho, which opened in February. I am doing another flagship store on Madison for the contemporary brand Joie. Residential work is also a big part of what I do, so I have a few private homes I’m working on as well.
Dream project
I would have loved to re-do Kensington Palace
when Princess Diana was living there.
Your pad
One writer said my last apartment could be described as “a minimalist animal-rights activist's nightmare.” My new place is maybe worse! I toned down the art and
turned up the fur. But it really became about editing and sticking to similar colors and fabrics. I love it. It feels more Italian, whereas the old place felt very English or French.
Your style, in three words
Romance, sex and fantasy.
Most inspired by
Hotels in Europe and fashion houses with history, like Balenciaga.
Pet peeves
Flip flops and desperation. And DO NOT SIT signs in
furniture stores. I hate that so much.
Words of wisdom
Remember that people age, but good taste never gets old.
Interior design vs. Fashion
Sometimes interior design feels old or stale, especially when you compare it to fashion. I just look at someone like Tom Ford and see what he did for Gucci and I think wow, how come we can’t do that for interior design? I look at interior advertisements for things like linens and I crave Kate Moss rolled up naked in bed. After all, you have sex in bed! I go through fashion magazines and I see people being sexy and I wonder, don’t people do that at home? I know my friends and I do. I think the interior world sometimes feels scared.
The process
I work from my store. It’s where fashion meets interiors for me. But I’m a horrible sketcher! Every month I attempt to keep a sketchbook, but they are so bad that I can’t even look at them again.
Uniform of choice
A lot of black. I like good cut and good fabric. Black suede, black cashmere, black leather. And Balenciaga, of course.
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