Laura Harrier and Tiffany Howell unveil their cinema-inspired Crate & Barrel furniture collection, Howell and Harrier
Laura Harrier and Tiffany Howell unveil their cinema-inspired Crate & Barrel furniture collection, Howell and Harrier.
When director-turned-designer Tiffany Howell curated actor Laura Harrier’s house, a blazing creative partnership was born. Named Paris, Texas, after Nastassja Kinski’s pink mohair sweater that features in the 1984 film, the pair brought a powdery pink paradise to life within Harrier’s home.
36-year-old Harrier’s affinity for Hollywood is no secret. She’s starred in Marvel’s hit Spider-Man: Homecoming and the Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman. That love for film is something she shares with Howell. Before founding her design studio Night Palm, the LA-based creative was masterminding videos for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. It’s this dedication to creative innovation and the power of film that attracted these kindred spirits.
Now, almost a decade into their creative and personal partnership, the pair have decided to bring a slice of their shared obsession to your front room.
In collaboration with American furniture brand Crate & Barrel, the duo introduce Howell & Harrier: their joint 87-piece furniture collection. Released on April 23rd, the collection – featuring sofas, accent chairs, dressers, lamps, chandeliers and much more – brings together archival fashion references and the glamour of Hollywood, resulting in pieces that offer functionality and decorative flair. With the Californian sunset providing the collection’s colour palette, a blend of “caramels, chestnuts and nudes” washes over the furniture.
Upon the collection’s release, the pair sat down to discuss the future of their creative partnership, fashion’s influence on the collection, and the films with the best interiors.
Your working relationship blossomed after Tiffany designed Laura’s home in a project called Paris, Texas. What about that project consolidated this long-standing relationship?
Tiffany Howell: Working together, we developed a shared language, and Paris, Texas became a discovery that we can move through multiple worlds together, and that the language still holds.
Laura Harrier: Tiffany and I go way back. We met, instantly got along, became friends, and have been collaborating ever since. She’s done three houses with me, and each one has been such a vibe. Tiffany taught me so much about design. I knew what I liked, but I wasn’t educated in it, and I didn’t know how to execute it. This collection is truly a story of us through the pieces.
To you, what elements make up the perfect piece of furniture?
TH: Timeless, sculptural, lush, elegant and seductive. The best pieces become part of your own visual language and feel like modern heirlooms you live with every day.
LH: It has to be beautiful but also comfortable. There is something so important about pieces that feel inviting, that you want to stay in and live with, especially for those long, lingering moments.
What is the creative partnership like between you both?
TH: I bring the creative design vision, and Laura brings her beautiful taste. Somewhere in the middle, our world takes shape.
LH: Tiffany has so much design knowledge, while I have an innate feeling for what I like. It’s always a creative dialogue between the two of us.
Archival fashion references lie at the heart of this collection. Talk to us about the relationship between fashion and furniture. Is there a reference that influenced the collection the most?TH: Fashion and interior design are both forms of self-expression. Just like fashion, interiors are about instinct. It became less about a single reference and was inspired by multiple eras, multiple pieces, and multiple references.
Tiffany, your background is in directing, and the collection is described as a “cinematic, moody take on interiors”. Has your work as a director influenced the collection?
TH: Film gives us mood and pacing, and that rhythm shapes how a space unfolds. It’s about creating something layered and intimate, where each piece contributes to a cinematic sense of timing and atmosphere.
The collection pulls inspiration from various decades. Do you have a favourite decade of furniture and interiors?
TH: We kept returning to different eras we both love, allowing small pieces of each to live within the collection. We were inspired by fashion and design motifs spanning multiple decades, and we’re proud of the balance we found between nostalgia and modernity.
LH: We looked at a lot of vintage pieces, not just furniture but also fashion, art, and photography. I’m especially drawn to mid-century homes and clean lines, but I like the juxtaposition of that with something warmer and a little more maximal.
We kept returning to different eras we both love, allowing small pieces of each to live within the collection. We were inspired by fashion and design motifs spanning multiple decades, and we’re proud of the balance we found between nostalgia and modernity
Tiffany Howell
Laura, how did your work as an actor influence this creative process?
LH: When I’m researching a character, space is always part of that. I think about where they live, what their space looks like, and what their aesthetic is. I’m always in awe of set design and the people who create entire worlds from the ground up, and that really shaped how I approached this collection.
When I’m researching a character, space is always part of that. I think about where they live, what their space looks like, and what their aesthetic is. I’m always in awe of set design and the people who create entire worlds from the ground up, and that really shaped how I approached this collection
LAURA HARRIER
Which shows and films have interiors that you love, and why?
LH: I’m really drawn to interiors that feel like a world of their own. Something like a David Lynch film or a Danielle McKinney painting: moody, sexy, and a little mysterious.
What’s your favourite piece in the collection and why?
TH: The Cinema Vanity feels closest to that idea, inspired by old-world Hollywood makeup vanities. The Lola Lamp feels like jewellery for the room, a sculptural object that brings a small moment of shine.
LH: I love the Cinema Vanity because it’s a bit of a childhood dream for me, and something I always imagined having. The Salon Sofa feels so inviting and comfortable; it creates a space for long conversations. I’m obsessed with the Corset Dining Chair. We went back and forth so many times to get the detailing just right.
You’re releasing the collection with Crate & Barrel. Why did they feel like the right partners for this project?
TH: We wanted each piece to feel timeless, soulful, and quietly elevated, but also meant to be lived with. Crate & Barrel felt like the right partner to bring that balance to life, creating pieces that are sculptural and expressive, yet approachable and part of everyday ritual.
LH: We wanted to create pieces that feel warm and inviting but also elevated. Crate & Barrel felt like the right partner to bring that to life in a way that still feels accessible and livable.
What does the next phase of your creative collaboration look like?
TH: Our shared dialogue will continue to evolve. It’s about following that instinct and allowing it to shape new environments and stories, always staying connected to the language we’ve built together.
LH: It really just continues from here. We’ve been collaborating for a long time, and this feels like an extension of that story, continuing to create and evolve together.