Pride Of Place

Here is a home steeped in art, beauty, and a classic elegance. Aerin Lauder invites us to step into her world

- Mark C O'flaherty

Her decorations haven’t gone up yet, but the ice skaters are already pirouetting around Rockfeller Centre and Aerin Lauder is in a festive, holiday mode. “I’m really looking forward to going to the 21 Club for dinner on Christmas Eve,” says the 45-year-old scion of the ultimate American beauty brand. “It was a Prohibition Era speakeasy, and it’s so Old New York. We go every 24th of December for supper, when the Salvation Army Band come and play carols.” Although her tree isn’t decorated, Lauren’s definitely got her shopping in the bag. “I really love giving my own designs and products as gifts to family and friends,” she says, gesturing to a table of scented candles and a luxe chess set with brass pieces and chocolate shagreen panelling. Wholesale as well as chic. Smart.

There are plenty of AERIN products at Lauder’s Upper East Side family home, which she shares with her investment banker husband Eric Zinterhofer and two teenage sons, Will and Erik. There are AERIN beauty and fragrance products in the bathrooms, AERIN shoes and accessories in her dressing room, and a selection of AERIN Lighting next to classic Richard Sapper Tizio lamps in her sons’ bedrooms. There’s also an assortment of her own design frames and sculptural golden bowls in the central salon that Jacques Grange restyled for her 17 years ago. “I remember the first day I came to see this place,” she says. “It was a snowy day and I absolutely fell in love with it. I loved the old metal windows and the view out to Park Avenue. It reminded me of the film Somewhere in Time. It was magical, with such great light. Old New York.”