The Best Interior Design Decisions Start In Your Closet, Says TC Chou

Interior design may stay in your home, but it does have a connection to fashion, according to New York interior designer TC Chou, the founder of Design Determination.

In fact, when he starts working with a client to help design (or redesign) their home, he starts in their closet. “Everybody has their favorite color, so we usually get color inspiration from their closet first, and then also textures,” said Chou.

“Some people love designs that are more refined and more structured, and this can be told through fashion,” he said. “That’s where they express themselves the most.”

As he likes to say, you can tell what kind of client he is dealing with by their selection of glossy finishes, curtains and bedding.

“What we can look at is the overall closet, like the color scheme,” said Chou, who has seen everything from neutral beige and brown closets (for those who love quiet luxury) to brighter, textured closets (for maximalists).

“I’m seeing that quiet luxury is really in right now, a lot of neutrals, a lot of earth tones, you know, almost like canvas style, and with textured fabrics,” he said.

Each client has a certain style they head out into the world in, but that same tone and style can be brought into their homes. “Whether it’s curtains or tablecloths or even smaller details, everyone can express their own personal style in their home,” said Chou.

Chou designs with a five to 10 years lifespan—with a focus on accessories. “I encourage my client to explore, because it doesn’t matter how they express themselves, ultimately, they go back to what style they really love.”

It makes sense our taste in fashion helps define our homes, which extend throughout our living space. Chou’s style is defined by his inquisitive nature. “To fully understand my clientele, I follow their lifestyle,” he said.

“Private residential interior design really allows me to see who they are—I get to know their favorite color and sense of fashion. And sometimes, I can use that to translate it into interior design.”

For example, Chou is working with one client in the Upper East Side who loves jewelry with decorative, floral embellishments. It led him to developing a unique chandelier, where he brought in elements of nature.

“I created a chandelier with crystal birds and branches, so it looks like jewelry, and it’s a focus of the room—like the focus of a ring is on a hand,” he said. TC Chou is no stranger to creating fabulous chandeliers—in another project, he created a star-burst chandelier from antique fixtures he found in Germany, France and New York, which were mixed with a modern Jonathan Adler fixture, and was inspired by the light fixtures at the Lincoln Center.

Fashion accessories like handbags and jewelry lend themselves well to what kind of interior accessories a client may like, from pillows and throws to fixtures and lighting.

“Even curtains can sometimes be a little bit more replaceable, if it’s not like something custom,” he said. “But a lot of custom work goes back to the basics of what someone loves and who they are.”

Getting to the stylistic heart of a client is no easy feat. “It’s really like dating,” explains Chou. “It comes down to trust. Sometimes the first interview with them doesn’t click, but after meeting a few times, that’s usually when people are able to realize if I’m a good match or not with their project.”

In terms of his own closet, Chou’s favorite fashion brands include Alexander McQueen and Yohji Yamamoto, as well as the French-Swedish sportswear designer, Ron Dorff. “I wear fashion because it’s comfortable,” he said. “I love stylish sportswear, so when I’m not in action, usually I’m in those.”

When it comes to designing walk-in closets, it comes down to making space for their tastes. Whether it’s big hats, large tote bags, or an enormous shoe collection, he has done it all, from New York to Taiwan.

Many combine mirrored walls and closets to expand the spaces, along with compartmentalized organization units to help store important boxes. “One penthouse we designed used accessories and fabrics found from a Paris antique market,” he said. “We used this to reupholster or refinish the space, giving it a French high-fashion feel.”

Closet spaces are typically the back of the house spaces, which are hidden, but they’re becoming more popular, he said. “We have clients who want to really turn it into a museum-like experience, they want to spend time in their closets as a sacred space for treasured fashion items.”

With more fashion exhibitions rolled out globally, and boutiques taking nods from art shows, we’ve become accustomed to seeing fashion hang in pristine spaces.

“A lot of people want to take their time to figure out their outfit,” said Chou. “The most important thing in a closet is the lighting, because the color of each outfit needs to be seen in its true color.”

Chou has brought his elegant edge to designing projects for The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, penthouses in the Upper East Side, lofts in Greenwich Village, the Steinway Building and a stunning pied-à-terre in the Pierre Hotel in New York City.

For Gucci lovers, adding decorative details to Italian neoclassical style interiors are part of his job. With one interior he decorated, “there’s almost no space that we didn’t finish with a custom wall cover or Venetian plaster,” he said.

Fabrics can really shine in, depending on how they’re presented in a room. In one project, he started with a stunning retro sofa, the Mah Jong Sofa from Roche Bobois, which was initially designed in 1971 by Hans Hopfer. It has a variety of fabrics and patterns that work together to create an eclectic centerpiece.

“The client loves the flexibility of the sectional design, as each of the pads is movable and can transform the space in different layouts,” said Chou. “The fabric selection is based on the idea of introducing different scales of textile in the sofa, instead of just solid fabrics, so we were able to tie some color into the art and furniture pieces in the living area.”

It comes down to accessorizing your living space, as it helps people express themselves, without having to completely redesign their home every few years. “My job is actually helping to be able to build a functional and fabulous home design without, you know, getting bored of it in a year or two,” said Chou.

“It’s important to be true to yourself,” he said.