Athena Calderone on Design, Apple, and Imitation | The Cut

Interior designer Athena Calderone, founder of EyeSwoon and Studio Athena Calderone, attended Apple’s 50th-anniversary celebration in Novel York City last Friday, an event featuring a performance by Alicia Keys at Grand Central Terminal.

Calderone, a mainstay in the design world with features in publications like Architectural Digest, credited Apple and the iPhone with significantly influencing her creative evolution. “I really do attribute Apple and the iPhone to my evolution as a designer,” she told The Cut. “How I style something has always taught me something through the lens, or if I’m traveling around the world and pulling references for a design project, my phone helps me reference where I’ve been and details that are lingering within a hidden drawer in my mind that I can go back to.” She also noted the role of Apple products in photo editing, a crucial part of her design process.

The event held particular significance for Calderone, a New York native, evoking memories of her early career in the city’s nightlife scene. She recalled bartending at venues like the Tunnel and Limelight, and working at Indochine, observing the intersection of artists and designers. “I saw designers and artists commingling, and for a Long Island girl, it was my first time seeing such diversity,” she said.

Calderone is currently undertaking renovations on a new Tribeca home, a project she described as a new chapter in her design identity. She previously sold a penthouse in Dumbo, Brooklyn, in 2015, initially intending to remain in the neighborhood. A failed real estate deal prompted a broader search, ultimately leading her to Tribeca.

The designer acknowledged the prevalence of imitation in her work, stating that while initially flattering, it ultimately led her to seek out more unique materials and designs for her current home. “I was seeing carbon copies of my kitchen, and at first it was so flattering. But then an entire building went up in Williamsburg that was everything in my kitchen, and I thought, It’s time to move on,” she explained. She also revealed she was sued for copyright infringement this year, learning the importance of verifying image usage rights.

Calderone emphasized the importance of continuous learning and self-education, recounting a solo trip to Vienna to study the Vienna Secessionists and visit museums like the Mak Museum and Villa Necchi Campiglio. She described the latter as a “stepsister” to her own home in terms of design lineage.

Apple’s 50th-anniversary celebration included an Alicia Keys performance in Grand Central Terminal, drawing crowds of fans. The event marked a milestone for the technology company, which Calderone believes has been instrumental in her career.