162 WSJ. MAGAZINE
“I WENT TO a plant nursery and saw this black olive
tree—I thought, How great would that be in some-
one’s living room? What life it’ll bring, and oxygen
and greenery and all these beautiful things. It has
a real sense of calm and grounding. It just brings
some European vibes. The Lorna Simpson col-
lage propped against it gives me a sense of pride
about being myself. She takes images she finds—of
African-American women from old magazines—and
makes them regal and beautiful. On the right is a
picture of my two girls. This was the day the little
one was born. They’re now 11 and 14. My younger
one is more introverted. The older one helps look
after her and lets her know that things are OK and
gives her strength. When I look at that every morn-
ing, it gives me strength. On top is an initial-B ring.
A friend of mine had it on, and I loved it. Her dad’s
name began with a B, and her husband’s does too. I
was talking about being a little bit shy, and she took
it off and gave it to me. She said, ‘Just let this hold
you in love and in light. Just remember how much
you are loved.’ The Polaroid is really sweet—it’s the
chandelier in my den, one of the first things I pur-
chased for this house. I love quirkiness in design.This was the first time I’d seen a light where you
can move the arms independently. It’s French,
1960s, from JF Chen—one of the best dealers in
Los Angeles. On the left, a rose quartz sculpture,
which was given to me probably 10 years ago. I had
never seen anything like it, and I couldn’t really
articulate why it was so beautiful. But I realized
that you can really influence a person’s mood and
their mind with objects. You can bring beauty into
the world. That’s what I try to do in my interiors.
It helps me with thinking a little bit differently.”
—As told to Sarah MedfordPHOTOGRAPHY BY CHANTAL ANDERSONSTILL LIFEBRIGETTE ROMANEK
The interior designer shares a few of her favorite things.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. To read a Q&A with Romanek, go to wsj.com/romanek.