Heather Taylor makes classics cool again
Meet the LA-based purveyor of home goods and textiles, who’s mastered the art of pattern play.
Gingham, plaid and stripes never go out of style, yet textiles designer Heather Taylor makes them feel fresh. With her namesake home goods line Heather Taylor Home, she puts her signature spin on the staple patterns with unabashed scale-mixing and a light-and-bright color palette.
Heather opened her Laurel Canyon home to walk us through her new and exclusive West Elm collection.
What’s your design philosophy?
I always try to keep things classic but fresh. Heather Taylor Home leans on classics like ginghams and plaids, but we use interesting colors and combine it all together in a way that feels fun and unique.
What inspires your work?
I’m really inspired by being a mom and the experience of having two little kids but still wanting to make my world beautiful. I want to make things that can elevate a normal weekday breakfast but are also very usable and easy to clean—things that work for real life.
How does color inform your style?
I’ve always been obsessed with color and making bold choices—whether it’s in my house or with what I wear. I like to go for colors that are saturated but aren’t scene-stealers. I have so much fun mixing colors together, which is something we do a lot in this collection—like pairing our sunny Goldenrod yellow with the Berry and Sage.
“I designed this collection to bring a bit of color and joy to your everyday.”
How does being a parent influence your entertaining approach?
For one thing, our start time is early: We eat dinner around 5 o’clock now. I cook more casual things, but I still always set a real table. When we have other people over who have little kids, I have some sort of activity—like drawing or a craft—on hand to keep them occupied, which it pretty much never does, but at least I try. I try to think about things that will enchant them.
Do your daughters help out when you’re prepping for guests?
My daughters love to help set the table. They make place cards—drawing little pictures and writing everyone’s names—and love to choose the napkins, picking a different one for each person… And they like to help me by making a big mess around the house that I have to keep cleaning up all the time.
“I love the idea of your family using these linens for everyday breakfast or Friday night dinner, and the patterns becoming imprinted in the memories of your family.”
What’s your recipe for a well-set table?
■ Pattern mixing: I like to play with patterns by mixing and matching scale. I love a big plaid napkin with a mini gingham runner. It’s really important when mixing patterns to do it in complementary colors—you don’t want everything to feel too wild.
■ An easy centerpiece: I always have some sort of centerpiece like flowers or potted plants. If I don’t have anything, I go into my kitchen and put some lemons in a pretty bowl.
■ White dinnerware: White plates are a great go-to. Food always looks really good on them.
Heather’s dinner party playbook:
AM coffee or PM cocktails?
AM if it’s someone I’m really close with and PM if it’s someone I’m just getting to know.
Best cocktail to batch for easy entertaining?
Margaritas.
Buffet or family style?
Family style–it’s very cozy and creates a feeling of friendliness on the table.
Go-to playlist?
The classics: The Beach Boys and Traveling Wilburys.
The secret to a great cheese board is …
having more than you think you need. Think piles and piles of cheese, prosciutto, sliced baguettes and nuts.
Surefire fix for a wine or candle wax spill?
Dry clean immediately.
If I had just one entertaining “rule,” it’d be …
for my guests to never want for anything. I have water, cocktails and wine bottles everywhere so they know where things can be refilled and never have to ask.