Profile:Laura Yaggy

I can’t think of a nicer or more talented person for the first profile of 2008. Laura Yaggy is the gifted designer of Lorely furniture named for her father’s beloved Maryland rye whiskey. A Trinity College graduate with a bachelor of arts in Art History, Laura has always been intrigued by color, design and the decorative arts.

After relocating to New York and accepting a job with the venerable New York interior designer David Easton, she spent several years working with clients to find custom furniture. It was during this time she began to notice a gap in the furniture market. Buyer’s choices were limited to hard to find antiques or assembly line basics, and thus a new career was born. Laura’s designs are the perfect balance of function, texture, luxury and whimsy.


How did you get your start as a furniture designer?
I started out working for David Easton and even though we had every resource you could imagine there were things like bedside tables, cocktail tables, side tables that were always a challenge to find. When I left DAE it became increasingly clear to me that there was a real need in the market for chic, well made furniture so I started Lorely. The greatest thing about Lorely is that we have standard shapes, sizes and colors but we can customize anything or even create something completely new for our clients. Our goal is really to become the “go to” for all those hard to find pieces.

What inspires your designs?
Everything. I always have a camera with me so if there is something that I think is particularly wonderful I will just snap a photo and tuck it away until I go into “design mode”. My husband caught me taking a photo of a ratty seat cushion in Marrakech. He thought that I was insane but I just loved the detail on it and I knew that that photo would come in handy. I have photo’s of buildings, doorways, antiques, fabrics, rooms…I like to record everything in case I might need it some day.

What it the one thing in life you can't live without?
One is just too hard to pick…my husband, my dogs, a little peace and quiet, maybe some fresh flowers and definitely positive thinking.

Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
Bill Baldwin decorated my grandparent’s house in Baltimore before he came to New York. Unfortunately Grandmother is no longer around so I cannot ask her all about it so for me to spend the day with my Grandmother, whom I adored and am said to be very alike, and Billy Baldwin, who is without a doubt one of my icons, would be the most wonderful.

What is your favorite indulgence?
Time by myself.

Who are you style icons?
Billy Baldwin because his style was incredible and very new at the time…and of course because of the Baltimore heritage that we share.

Fulco di Verdura because his jewelry is just amazing and never takes itself too seriously.

Nancy Lancaster because she really understood how to make a house comfortable.

David Easton has incredible energy and will go to the ends of the earth to find just the right thing and I could not have asked for a better person to have leaned from.

Frances Elkins because her interiors were breathtaking and the glass balusters on the staircase at the Kersey Coats Reed house is one of my all time favorite things.

Tony Duquette -I know everyone is inspired by him right now because of Wendy Goodman and Hutton Wilkinson’s new book but I just think that he was incredible.

Charlotte Moss for her incredible attention to detail and impeccable taste.
The list goes on….

Thinking about your own home what is your favorite room?
I love our study because it is finished and it is not changing but I also love my Living Room because it is constantly changing! We are about to completely redo our kitchen, which I am convinced will make me a fabulous chef so perhaps my favorite room will be the Kitchen come March?

What books and magazines are on your bedside table?
The new book on John Fowler
The Year of Endless Sorrows by Adam Rapp
Domino Magazine
And my latest obsession…National Geographic

Profile by Ronda Carman