The design world mourns the loss of Amy Lau, a celebrated AD100 designer whose Arizona roots and Manhattan-based career left an indelible mark on interior design. Known for her warm, visually striking spaces, Lau’s work seamlessly merged art and design, creating environments that were both inviting and inspiring.
“A true visionary and inspiration, Amy dedicated her life to creating warm and inviting spaces, touching countless lives with her passion and unique style,” her firm, Amy Lau Design, shared on Instagram. “We will forever cherish her legacy and the impact she made on the design world.”
Raised in Paradise Valley, Arizona, Lau’s love for nature and design began early. Exploring the desert landscape, horseback riding, and collecting shells and rocks with her grandmother—a mineralogist and artist—shaped her appreciation for the natural world. Her parents’ collection of Taos Society of Artists works, jewelry, and regional crafts also nurtured her artistic sensibilities. Lau studied art history at the University of Arizona, later traveling through Mexico with decorative arts dealer Dino Alfaro to source artisan-made items for his Tucson gallery. She eventually pursued a master’s degree in fine and decorative arts at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York City, where her career flourished.
Lau sharpened her expertise at renowned design spaces like Thomas O’Brien’s Aero and the midcentury-focused Lin-Weinberg Gallery before founding her studio in 2001, originally called Forms of Design, now Amy Lau Design. Her bold use of color, inspired by the rich hues of the American Southwest, and her ability to integrate fine art and innovative design became hallmarks of her work. “I still think of its dusty olives, siennas, and rusty browns as ‘my colors,’” Lau noted in her monograph *Expressive Modern* (2011).
Her projects, predominantly residential, reflected her belief in creating total works of art—spaces where every element played a vital role. Lau worked with collectors like Clarissa and Edgar Bronfman Jr., Craig Robins, and artist Barbara Gross to craft homes that seamlessly blended custom, antique, and 20th-century furnishings with striking artworks, achieving harmonious conversations through color, texture, and material.
“To consider a detail and its larger context at one and the same time is fundamental to a designer’s work,” Lau explained in *Expressive Modern*. Her designs were always grounded in her clients’ personal collections, interests, and lifestyles while thoughtfully integrating the surrounding natural environment.
Lau’s influence extended beyond interiors. She co-founded the inaugural Design Miami fair in 2005 alongside Craig Robins and Ambra Medda, curating its first 15 galleries and awarding the late architect Zaha Hadid its design prize. In 2017, she became the first designer to exhibit at New York’s Salon Art + Design fair, showcasing a richly adorned living room paying homage to Art Nouveau’s legacy.
Amy Lau’s dedication to her craft, her vibrant use of color, and her commitment to blending artistry with functionality leave a legacy that will continue to inspire and shape the world of design.
