Celebrity favorite Kreiss to launch showroom in Design District

Loren Kreiss knows what a star wants: a beautiful home. The managing director of 73-year-old home design and furnishing brand Kreiss Enterprises takes care of the interiors part. He’ll chat about how he’s poised to bring so-called California Look to South Florida Tuesday, along with cohost Alonzo Mourning, at the 7-9 p.m. opening party for his company’s latest showroom in the Design District Tuesday. Guests will be treated to cocktails courtesy of VeeV acai spirit, hors d’oeuvres and a sneak peak of three new collections; i.e., handmade furniture, fabrics, linens and accessories. We chatted with Kreiss, 30, about some of his most bold-faced named clients who have included Bruce Springsteen, Usher and Diana Ross. (Bummer alert: In some of his juicer stories, the subjects had to remain anonymous.)

You’ve worked with countless famous people over the years. Can you talk a little about your most unforgettable experiences?

With regard to lasting relationships, I first met Janet Jackson when I was about 13 years old. We were designing her residence in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and she graciously came over to my grandparents’ house, and we played some tennis and had lunch. What still strikes me to this day is how much time she spent with us. She stayed most of the day and was very much engaged in conversation. She had zero attitude and is just a wonderful woman. More than a decade later, I was working in our Manhattan showroom when Janet came in. No entourage, no security guards, just her and a close friend. To my surprise, she recognized me and was every bit as kind as I remembered. She was decorating Jermaine Dupri’s office at Def Jam. We worked together to complete the project for a few days. I remember it fondly. She was quite creative and very hands on. She had excellent taste. She is genuine, soft spoken, beautiful and down to earth. I have nothing but great things to say about her. We ended up doing some work for the rest of her family as well.

 Have any famous clients made some surprising choices in their homes?

It’s always interesting when people who you would perceive as being totally different in personality and taste choose the same pieces. A classic example of this was when Bruce Springsteen and Frank Sinatra both had orders in house for the same piece at the same time. The piece was our Corniche sectional. Frank Sinatra thought it was classic, and Bruce Springsteen thought it was hip. The corniche is still a top seller to this day. Recently, we had a billionaire client who is well known for his conservative politics. He chose the same chair, our Ares dining chair, as Usher and the same outdoor collection as Floyd Mayweather.

Any negative memories?

Last month, I was contacted by a well known reality television star. She and her husband wanted their home designed and furnished. We were very excited about the project until they mentioned they expected us to do the project for free. We politely declined. Info: Kreiss, 49 NE 39th St, 305-438-1555, kreiss.com.

This story was originally published January 9, 2012 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Celebrity favorite Kreiss to launch showroom in Design District."