Lillian August had a successful turn designing furniture, wallpaper and fabrics for other companies before deciding to open her own retail location. Together with her sons, John and Dan Weiss, August opened her first shop in Westport, CT, in 1987. Still a family-run venture, the company offers an unparalleled variety of home furnishings and caters to designers and homeowners alike.
What inspires you? Our mother, Lillian August, inspired both of us to join this family business and turn our passion for design into full-time careers. She continues to inspire us on a daily basis. (Dan is president and chef executive officer and John is chief operating officer of Lillian August.)
What materials do you like to work with most? We love to work with all kinds of materials. For us, it is most important where they come from. For our line of Lillian August furniture, we are sourcing more and more furniture licenses to American factories, particularly in North Carolina where the craft tradition runs deep. Domestic production also makes customization possible, which is a huge bonus for our clients.
What three pieces should every home have? A great rug, window treatments and a special antique or vintage item.
Describe your ideal client. We thrive off passion. It’s always rewarding to work with a client who is excited about their project. Designing a home should be a fun process. Our designers strive to make it an enjoyable and painless experience.
What’s one thing about your business that most people don’t know? We are known in Greenwich for our beautiful and intimate studio space but we offer so much more. The Lillian August Design Center on Route 1 in Norwalk is the premiere one-stop design resource for the area. With more than 100,000 square feet of space, it offers more products than any of our other locations and is also the home to our to-the-trade program, custom workroom, art gallery, rug department and café.
Lillian August Designs
32 Knight St., Norwalk, CT, 203-847-3314
26 East Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT, 203-489-3740
85 Water St., South Norwalk, CT (outlet), 203-838-0153
12 West 20th St., New York, NY, 212-206-1883
