Talk Shop: Jane Keltner de Valle // Paloroma
ABOUT JANE
It’s no secret that Jane Keltner de Valle knows her way around a fashion closet. de Valle has held stints at major outlets like Elle, Teen Vogue, and Glamour, before turning her hand to interiors at AD. When she stepped into the role of style director of Architectural Digest, the timing couldn’t have been better: she and her husband had just renovated their first family home. After moving into a contributing writer role, Jane decided to take on a new venture: starting Paloroma, a children’s skincare brand. The idea came about when Jane had her first child, Roman, who had very sensitive skin and Jane couldn’t find any product she liked enough (or trusted.) So, she and her husband, AD100 designer Giancarlo Valle, started Paloroma when she was pregnant with her daughter, Paloma. AO is a huge fan of Paloroma for her girls, and we were so excited to sit down with Jane to talk about her company, career experiences, and (!) favorite wallpaper. Enjoy!
Photo by Nicole Franzen
Describe your style in three words or less:
Personal, layered, lived-in.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
I grew up in Carnegie Hill in a family home that was decorated in the layered English chintz style. I’ve definitely gone in my own direction as an adult, but I appreciate the way my parents, particularly my mother, layered eclectic fabrics, objects, and things that held personal meaning to create a warm and beautiful home. Both my hometown of New York City and the world that’s unfolded before me through traveling, seeing how other people live, and exploring different cultures and homes—this is really what has shaped my eye and continues to move it forward. During my five years as style director at Architectural Digest, I was exposed to so many wonderful homes and so much incredible design that continues to inspire me to this day. And last but not least, my husband Giancarlo Valle. I’m lucky enough to be married to an incredible talent in the design world and someone who really has a point of view. To live that every day and see how the homes we’ve created together unfold and evolve is a great joy.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
We hatched the idea for Paloroma while I was pregnant with my second child. As with many great ideas, necessity is the mother of invention. We couldn’t find bath and body care products for our children that we trusted or connected with, something that spoke to us as modern parents, and that felt beautiful on the inside and out. The business was really born through our children.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I spent fifteen years at Conde Nast, most of those under Amy Astley. Her work ethic, commitment to excellence, and collaborative spirit were deeply inspiring, and I always admired that she was as committed to her family as she was to her career. In more recent years, I’ve been really inspired by my own peer group, friends, and fellow editors who charted a new course as entrepreneurs. I don’t know that I would have had the courage to take this path myself without having so many examples around me.
What does your home say about you:
Our homes are definitely a reflection of us and our family. Giancarlo has an incredible sense of color—which he can use sparingly or in broad strokes. He also has a real gift for placing design from different eras and places together and creating a dialogue between objects. I think our homes are a true reflection of our experiences, and always an ongoing conversation. They are never hermetic or “finished.”
Where do you find inspiration:
The people, places, and homes I visit. Books. My husband’s studio.
Who are your style icons:
I don’t have any one style icon. I love the dressing rooms Elsie de Wolfe created, Cy Twombly’s villa in Italy, and Mongiardino’s rich tableaux. Things that feel personal, evocative, and eccentric.
Photo by Nicole Franzen
Photo by Nicole Franzen
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Good company, good lighting, a pretty tablescape, and a well-stocked bar.
Do you collect anything:
Elsa Perretti terracotta, Catholic iconography, primitive carved masks
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@beau_traps, @kimcoolmon, @shirleydoukhan
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
I don’t really believe in rules, but I do believe in treating precious objects in a more casual way. A home should be a place one can “live,” not a prison where one is hostage to the art and design around them.
What are you working on right now:
Our weekend home in Litchfield, Connecticut
Wardrobe staples:
Gold Cartier Panthère watch, La Ligne mariniere sweaters
Photo by Nicole Franzen
Favorite brands for littles:
La Coqueta, Oso & Me, Bonpoint, Nike
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
A Jane Shelton stripe we used in our children’s bedrooms. I think stripes have become to me and Giancarlo what florals were to my parents.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Best career advice you ever received:
It is better to have tried and failed than failed to try.
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Invest in art and design, save on floral arrangements. When we’re in the country, I always cut fresh blooms from the garden and put them together in little bud vases. My daughter Paloma is my able-handed apprentice. At the end of the season, we cut and dry hydrangeas to display in vases during the colder months.
Your greatest extravagance:
My dressing room in the country.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Live Auctioneers for vintage design, Studio Giancarlo Valle for contemporary furniture, Porta for tabletop
Most prized possession and why:
Portraits of our children when they were babies by the artist Marilyn Minter, and drawings/artwork our children make for us.
Your interiors motto:
When you walk into a home you should have a sense of who lives there. A home should always feel personal and have personality.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Take your time. Don’t ask for too many opinions.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Spaghetti carbonara
Drink: Tequila soda with lime
Film: The Talented Mr. Ripley
Hotel: Villa D’Este and Hotel Esencia
City: New York City
Bedding: Hill House Home, Olatz, vintage
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): green iced tea, unsweetened
Playlist: Euphoria soundtrack
Weekend Activity: Tennis in the summer. Skiing in the winter.
Design Book: Renzo Mongiardino rooms, Elsie de Wolfe a decorative life, More Than Just a House by Alex Eagle
