During her 26-year career at J Crew – including nearly a decade as Creative Director – Jenna Lyons honed a signature look that was effortlessly wearable, but instantly polished, and unmistakably chic. It's no surprise then that the looks she's created in her homes over the years have reflected that modern twist on understated glamor that she brought to her fashion collections.
Take, for example, her SoHo loft. Jenna has enriched the space with a statement Chinese-style screen, tan leather chairs, pink velvet upholstery, and dark marble and wood, for a treasure-box look that epitomises found luxury – the aesthetic that designers say is taking over from quiet luxury, which has been dominating interiors in recent years.
I've spoken to designers and vintage experts about how to perfect this collected, yet elevated look, and my curated round-up of furniture and decor combines pieces that look vintage (such as this Perigold room divider), to modern designs that hark back to former eras (like this West Elm dining chair), to help you capture Jenna Lyons' aesthetic.
Shop Jenna Lyons' Found Luxury Look
This vintage-style Chinese-inspired screen will make a statement in a living room or bedroom – it's double sided design means you can change up the look when it appeals.
In a warm wood frame with a choice of upholstery in vegan or regular leather, this dining chair has a distinctly designer look that mirrors the one in Jenna Lyons' SoHo Loft.
This lamp was designed by Jenna herself for Roll & Hill and combines a brass star-shaped base with a wood stand and glass shade for a mid-century modern-leaning look.
Designed by NYC-based David Aguirre, this side table is made from honed marble featuring dramatic natural veining in black and cream, making this a really striking piece.
In terra rose-hued chenille, like Jenna Lyons' sofa, this piece bears a clean, linear silhouette and wooden legs for a refined aesthetic. Complete the look with a matching ottoman.
An ancient firing technique gives this pot and saucer the aged finish, as seen on Jenna Lyons' plant pot which creates contrast with her elevated pieces in luxe finishes and materials.
The beauty of the found luxury look is that it relies on good-quality materials and design that will last the distance (or even improve with age), pieces that you love, and it never feels completely finished – in fact it actually develops over the course of time. For that reason, it's not something that can be created in a moment from simply buying new.
Jen Baxter, Founder and Designer at Baxter Hill Interiors, explains: 'The biggest shift is resisting the urge to complete a room all at once. The instinct to get everything ‘done’ works directly against the quality you’re trying to achieve. It’s understandable, but that kind of urgency risks flattening a room.'
Jenna Lyons' scheme works so well as it's beautifully balanced, just like her best outfits. She mixes a striking mirrored chinoiserie-inspired screen – a luxe vintage look – with mid-century inspired pieces, such as the leather dining chair and her Laddi Lamp (2Modern), as well as a textural rug, a richly veined marble table and a luxe pink sofa.
Krystal Baldwin, Founder of San Francisco Vintage shares how a statement piece like Jenna Lyons' screen can form a starting point for a look like this: 'A vintage screen works best when it’s treated as a sculptural anchor rather than just a backdrop. It acts as functional art, adding height, texture, and a sense of architecture that contemporary spaces often lack. I like placing it where it can catch light and shadow, so it almost feels like a living artwork throughout the day.'
Jen agrees that choosing art for your home that speaks to you, rather than to serve a specific decorative purpose always feels more authentic. 'Be patient with art. Buy what you love before you know where it will go, and then build the room around it. Art chosen to fill a space always looks like it was chosen to fill a space.'
And if you are decorating with vintage, don't make the mistake of sticking to a single era if you want it to feel elevated like Jenna Lyon's look. 'To keep it feeling fresh rather than overly antique, it helps to create a dialogue between eras,' advises Krystal. 'Pairing an intricate vintage screen with the low lines of mid-century furniture creates balance.'
Metallics, like the lamp base in Jenna's space or the mirrored finish on her screen will further elevate this look, and, Krystal advises: 'bring in something organic, like a Monstera or Fiddle Leaf Fig plant to ground vintage pieces in the present.'
Jen adds a final word of advice: 'invest in materials that age well rather than decay. Think natural stone, solid wood, aged brass, linen and leather. The opposite of 'found luxury' is disposable luxury – pieces that look expensive when new, but beat up a year later, or objects that carry no story at all.'
To achieve a chic look like Jenna Lyons' the key is to let your home decor be led by your personality, rather than fleeting trends or fast fashion. Being true to yourself and what you love, whilst collecting quality pieces, will create the most authentic and timeless aesthetic that really tells your story.
