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Quick Takes With: John Derian

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Quick TakesIssue — The Kitchen Issue

Quick Takes With: John Derian

October 12, 2025
john derian stephen kent johnson photo 17

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It’s fitting that John Derian is our October Quick Takes star. For one, this month marks thirty years—three whole decades—since John opened his first NYC shop. For another, he’s got a particular knack for the wonderfully strange and the beautifully eerie. In his trademark decoupaged ephemera—for which he’s achieved undeniable cult status in the design world—bones, spiders, crows, and black cats are just as likely to be found as old-fashioned eyeglasses, wine bottles, and playing cards. 

Our admiration for John’s work is longstanding: We featured his Provincetown house in the first Remodelista book, and he served as a judge for our (dearly departed) Considered Design Awards way back in 2015. Today, we catch up with John about his design pet peeve, favorite sheets, and trusty kitchen utensil. Read on:

photograph by stephen kent johnson. 28
Above: Photograph by Stephen Kent Johnson.

You’re invited to dinner. What’s your go-to gift?

Tea towels

What’s on your bedside table?

A stack of books

What’s your desert island design/art/architecture-related book?

Bloomsbury at Home, Pamela Todd

What podcast or playlist do you put on when you need inspiration?

Diva soundtrack

What’s a film or TV show whose aesthetic has stuck with you?

Persuasion, the ’90s version

photograph by tyler boone. 29
Above: Photograph by Tyler Boone.

Which Instagram account do you go to for design inspiration?

Stephen Kent Johnson

What has been your best house upgrade?

Toaster

A simple or budget-friendly design move you wish you’d known sooner?

🤔

My favorite sheets are…

Rasa, hand block-printed

My favorite paint color for the bedroom is…

Mouse’s Back

My unpopular design opinion is…

Lowered ceilings and paneled walls…

Your design pet peeve?

Bright lights

still a favorite: john&#8\2\17;s bath, as seen in bathroom of the week: joh 30
Above: Still a favorite: John’s bath, as seen in Bathroom of the Week: John Derian’s Homage to Old Cape Cod. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista.

My go-to kitchen utensil is…

An antique wooden spoon

Three words that describe my design style:

Comfortable, eclectic, antique

First design love?

Painted furniture

What item from your closet do you have on repeat?

Todd Snyder shorts

Favorite design shop to visit (online or in person)?

Dienst + Dotter

photograph courtesy john derian company. 31
Above: Photograph courtesy John Derian Company.

What is the last thing you purchased for your house?

A toaster

Something you’re coveting?

Olives

I don’t leave the house without…

Glasses, phone, and keys.

Thanks so much, John! Follow his work @johnderiancompany and johnderian.com,

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