While Jenna Lyons, the ex creative director and president of J. Crew may not have been on your radar until this year when she joined the cast of the Real Housewives of New York, the American businesswoman has been fashion industry’s It woman for over 20 years now.
And she’s a true interior design aficionado too as her home (or should we say homes?) and especially Jenna Lyons' bathroom have been featured in countless magazines over the years and Jenna herself often shares snaps of her apartment on her Instagram account. But between the RHONY reboot and the recently released house tour of her glamorous loft in New York’s Soho, Jenna Lyons and her abode are going viral at the moment.
Why is that, you might ask. Apart from the home being absolutely stunning, Jenna Lyons’ new bathroom garnered much attention for the unique unlacquered brass hardware fittings which has since become a new bathroom trend. And the fact that she ages some of her hardware on purpose to achieve a vintage look.
In 2020, Jenna starred in another reality TV show on HBO called Stylish with Jenna Lyons where she searched for a creative associate to join her soon-to-be-launched lifestyle blog and brand through a series of challenges, much of which included interior design. In this show, we learned about Jenna’s affinity for an aged look, giving terracotta planters a weathered finish with yoghurt (yes, really!).
And in her recent house tour, Jenna admits to ageing her bathroom hardware by spraying it with ocean salt water, which creates a patina film on top. What a unique bathroom idea! Sadly, she reveals that plain water mixed with salt won’t do the trick. But if you have access to sea water and are a fan of the aesthetic, we say go for it.
Of course, if you still want to get the desired Jenna Lyons bathroom look, then you can invest in some unlacquered brass hardware.
The designer has spoken about her love of brass fittings for years now, which appear even in her iconic Brooklyn bathroom shot that has ended up on thousands of Pinterest boards for bathroom decor ideas.
Many already have jumped on the bandwagon according to Google Trends. It turns out that searches for unlacquered brass hardware have risen by 83% in the past month.
‘Around mid July we started noticing that interest in our brushed brass products were increasing, and by the end of July we had an influx of new customers on our brushed brass product pages - a 56% increase since June to be exact,’ reveals Warren Kinloch, bathroom expert at Bathroom Deal.
‘Based on timelines, we can put the additional interest in our brushed brass collections down to Jenna Lyons’ home going viral on social media. This roughly increased our brushed brass product sales by 9%.’ The Jenna Lyons effect is officially here. .
But just because it works for a celebrity, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right fit for you. So would Warren recommend this style?
‘Unlacquered brass bathroom hardware is perfect for people who appreciate a worn-in look,' he says. 'Those that love vintage and traditional elements in a bathroom are likely to adore a brass hardware look to really add an authentically classic touch to the space.'
‘Sitting in a mid to high price range, I would say that unlacquered brass is more of a luxury product, however, there are plenty of affordable alternatives on the market. For example, brushed brass is a cheaper option that allows you to have the same elegant feel, without the huge price tag.’
Have you succumbed to the Jenna Lyons trend-setting effect? We sure have.
