Lenny Kravitz Owns an Interior Design Firm as a Main Side Gig
Living rock legend Lenny Kravitz is a master at hitting notes and radiating his talents on records and stages.
For many artists, it’s natural to find other creative outlets where their interests manifest as hobbies or side gigs. Kravitz—an actor, Grammy winning musician, and furniture designer—has found multiple ways to tap into his artistry, and one of those ways is with an interior design firm.
Lenny Kravitz launched an interior design company in 2003
On a regular day, Kravitz keeps things lowkey when it comes to the notion of being a celebrity. When he opened Kravitz Design Inc. in 2003, he wanted his company to stand on the merits of its interior design work and not his fame. He’s hands on with the process too.
Back in 2012, Kravitz spoke to the New York Times about his business. “People are often surprised when I’m at the building with the hard hat on,” he said. “I’m completely involved. There’d be no reason to do it unless I’m 100 percent committed.”
His firm works on residential and commercial properties, with projects ranging from condominiums in Miami to New York restaurants to homes in Paris. Hotels are his jam too. Kravitz and his team add their touch to spaces of any size, and notably handled the set for Queen Latifah’s talk show.
Kravitz found design inspiration during childhood
In several interviews, Kravitz mentioned that he gleaned his sense of design from his youth. The people, places, and things from his childhood all influenced his creativity.
He told Elle Magazine that when he was a child, he looked around his room to gain an understanding of how things worked. It bloomed from there.
“When I recorded my first album [Let Love Rule, 1989] I didn’t have any money, and so, to furnish my apartment, I would find and fix old furniture that others would throw away, creating my own style,” Kravitz explained. “I think everything started there. I never studied design in a real school, but instead, studying for me meant observing.”
Kravitz also designs furnishings
Kravitz’s love for design goes beyond interior layouts and architecture. He extends his ideas into crafting pieces such as chandeliers, furniture, cameras, and wallpaper. Kravitz has been creating chandeliers for years and even teamed up with Swarovski to make fixtures.
In the realm of furniture, he launched a line with CB2. Items include chairs, stools, rugs, pillows, and lighting. When speaking to Elle, he named Paul Evans, Gabriella Crespi, Joe Colombo, and Pierre Jeanneret as some of his furniture design inspirations.
In 2018, Dom Perignon named him as its creative director and one of his tasks was to conceptualize a new bottle (in 2019) and display for the champagne. Further, Kravitz put his camera skills to use and arranged an entire international photo exhibition in partnership with the brand.
To see examples of Kravitz Design Inc.’s work, check out the firm’s Instagram account. Currently, Kravitz fans can pick up the artist’s first memoir, Let Love Rule, which journeys through his childhood and the early days of his career.
