Design Ideas

Douglas Friedman On Design

Meet renowned photographer and designer, Douglas Friedman, as he shares his views on how a “favorite” anything is so hard to pin down, how artificial light can never live up to the real thing, and so much more.

To say Douglas Friedman is multi-talented (not to mention one of the Most Interesting Men in the World) would only take a quick scroll through his Instagram, and thus the perfect subject for this edition of “On Design.”

When he’s not traveling the world capturing some of the most beautiful images of the most stunning spaces imaginable or photographing some of the globe’s most iconic celebrities, with work that’s appeared everywhere from Architectural Digest to Vanity Fair, the famed photographer can be found tackling a project closer to home: renovating a 150-year-old home on Long Island.

We caught up with Friedman during a layover in Newark and talked with him about everything from his journey from “fifth-photo assistant” to one of the most sought-after photographers in the world to how consideration is at the heart of design to the one project that got away: the White House.

What's the Most Challenging Project You've Ever Taken On?

Douglas: As a photographer, I think the most challenging project I’ve taken on recently was shooting the Kona Village Resort in Hawaii because we were embedded for almost three weeks. We lived on property, and you're using everything you’ve got to solve all the problems. You're shooting everything, all day long, every day. It was great. Logistically challenging, but ultimately incredibly rewarding.

As a human, I think the most challenging project I’ve taken on was building a house in the far west Texas desert, the Marfa project. Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? Hell no.

[Interviewer: But could you bring those skills you learned to something else?]

Yes, because I’m renovating a 150-year-old house now on Long Island. Everything I did wrong in West Texas, I'm trying to do right on Long Island.

Where Do You Get Inspiration From?

Douglas: Honestly, my inspiration comes from everywhere. I actually don't comb through interior design magazines and find inspiration there. I find it in the music I’m listening to or the people I see walking down the street. My brain is constantly collecting information, sights, and sounds, and then reinterpreting that into my work. Like right now, I might be less inspired by huge florals and bright photography, and more interested in a shadow and a mood. And that’s always evolving and changing.

Favorite Architectural Style and Why?

Douglas: I'm going to struggle answering a question about my “favorite” anything. That's always evolving. Something that [Friedman’s close friend] Martha Stewart always taught me was to be super curious about everything. And I am. I’ve chosen to be really curious about everything and so my brain is constantly latching on to new things, exploring things, and then doing deep dives into new things. So, what I might have loved yesterday, I don’t necessarily love as much today. Or maybe I love it more. Or something else appeared in the corner of my eye, and now I'm fascinated by like, art deco. There's always something new around the corner that's inspiring me.

How Do You Know a Project is Complete?

Douglas: In photography, I’ll know with the image we’re shooting. It’s some type of internal mechanism in my brain that senses balance. It's so arbitrary and specific to my head, but it’s a vibe and a feeling. The picture feels done when you move a flower petal one inch, but that's when it feels its best.

Marfa was a project that I worked on, not in photography, but in designing a house. It finally feels complete now, and that's 10 years since I started it. I'm in a place now I'm very happy with it and it doesn't need anything.

What Building/Home/Installation/Piece Do You Wish You'd Photographed?

Douglas: I really wish I had the opportunity to photograph the White House. That would have been pretty amazing. I got real close for Architectural Digest. We were so close in the negotiations and security clearances and all that stuff. Ultimately, it was out of my hands.

What Does Good Design Mean to You?

Douglas: Oh god, I mean, it’s everything. It's literally everything. If I'm just thinking now, it's how I unpack my toiletries kit in a hotel, and how everything gets laid out, and it’s very specifically designed. What goes into my suitcase is specifically designed. How I eat my breakfast. I feel like every single thing in my day is designed and considered and important and valuable. It's how laundry is folded. It's just everything is considered and should be considered. And why not? Why wouldn't you consider it?

When Did You Know You Wanted to be a Photographer?

Douglas: It’s one of those things: I didn’t know. I just knew all the things I didn't want to do. Photography was like a light hobby of mine; it was always kind of there in the background, but never did I consider photography a viable career option. There was never a discussion of that. I never even thought about it. When I was 29, I’d just come back from a year of backpacking across India and Nepal. I showed back up in New York City in desperate need of a job. I'd been out of the job market for a year and coming back to New York and what are you going to do? An ex-boyfriend of mine was a fashion stylist, and he said, “I can get you a gig as a photo assistant, like the fifth-photo assistant to Gilles Bensimon and it's a shoot with Bridget Hall.” I was like, ‘Yeah, I'll take it.’ It was the first moment I was like, ‘I can make a career of this. Maybe I should try this.’ Never thinking that I would make a career of it, but I made a career of it.

[Interviewer: Sometimes it's the jobs that find you that are the most interesting. And the best fit.]

Totally. It was what the universe had in store. “This is where you're going, Doug.” And it worked. It was exciting. It was challenging. It was so eventful. And how could I say no to it?

How Do You Incorporate Light, Air, and Views into Your Projects?

Douglas: For me, natural light is what makes a photograph. It's natural light that makes a room look so beautiful, the way light and shadow move through space. Natural light is what shows you textures and materials at their best. No amount of re-creation with artificial light will ever give you what natural light does. I'm renovating this house on Long Island and we've replaced all of the windows with Marvin windows. We built this incredible sunroom. It's wrapped in Marvin. There's not a single can light in the ceiling. There's so little artificial lighting. It's how I live in Texas, too, with very little artificial lighting. Everything in my life is designed to use what nature's given us to its maximum capacity and then very little after that.

What's Something that People Would Find Surprising About You?

Douglas: People are usually surprised to find out I’m nice? “You’re so nice! I’m so surprised!” I don’t know if people assume by the way I look I’m not going to be as much of a dork as I am.

[Interviewer: It's the cool mustache. It’s intimidating!]

I think it is the tattoos and the mustache. But the big reveal at the end of the day is like, “What a goof.”

What's Next For You?

Douglas: Endless travel. Finishing the restoration of a 150-year-old house. I've got a book coming out this fall with Nicole Hollis, the designer, and a couple of other really exciting partnerships that unfortunately I can't announce yet. So much!

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Home exterior that features designs from Douglas Friedman.