Peti Lau: Inside the World of Maximalist Interior Design
people • designers
Peti Lau, founder of her eponymous interior design firm, brings over two decades of experience crafting expressive, layered spaces for a global clientele. Known for her bold yet balanced approach to luxury interiors, her style combines clean architectural lines with rich textures, vibrant palettes, and curated eclecticism. Each project reflects a unique narrative, shaped by meaningful sourcing and storytelling.
Renowned for her meticulous eye, Peti collaborates with an international network of artists, artisans, and bespoke makers to deliver interiors that are both high-impact and deeply personal. In this interview, she shares the evolution of her interior design philosophy, rooted in culture, emotion, and fearless creativity.
Words: designeers
june 2025
WEBSITE: www.petilau.com
INSTAGRAM: @petilaudesign
DESIGNEERS
You describe your design style as “AristoFreak.” How did this concept come to life, and what does it mean to you personally?
Peti Lau
AristoFreak is a trademarked style I created to represent the lifestyle of the modern bohemian. Inspired by my unconventional path being born in Israel, raised in the US, then living as an expat in Thailand, I drew from the ethos of the Pre-Raphaelites and jet-set icons like Talitha Getty and Yves Saint Laurent. The term “AristoFreak” came from my second ex-husband in Italy, referencing a Milanese underground party scene in the '80s. While I initially envisioned AristoFreak as a lifestyle brand, I’ve since redirected that creative energy into interior design. It still embodies my aesthetic: maximalist, soulful, and globally influenced.
DESIGNEERS
Travel seems integral to your inspiration. Can you share a memorable trip that profoundly impacted your design sensibilities?
Peti Lau
Travel is one of my greatest passions, especially ignited during my years as an expat in Thailand, which opened up the world for me. I’ve spent time in London, Mauritius, and returned often to South Africa, Bali, Italy, and Mexico. But my 2004 journey to Burma (Myanmar) deeply shaped my creative lens, long before I became an interior designer. There, I witnessed masterful craftsmanship, women inlaying 30 types of eggshells into lacquerware, month-by-month colour layering in underground curing, and candelabras made from Coke bottles in rural villages. That trip showed me how art can emerge from simplicity, turning creativity into a cultural lifestyle, not just an aesthetic.
DESIGNEERS
Colour, texture, and pattern play significant roles in your designs. How do you approach layering these elements to tell a cohesive story?
Peti Lau
I approach design like music composition, drawing from my background as an opera singer. Patterns and colours are like chords, each needing a base, middle, and high note, with a “7th” that adds unexpected beauty. I always aim for balance, layering at least three tones and adding a fourth to create visual interest. Like a haunting melody, a well-designed space should evoke emotion and resonate deeply. Design, like music, is all about scale, composition, and feeling.
DESIGNEERS
The top three go-to suppliers.
Peti Lau
It’s hard to choose, as each project is so unique. For fabrics, I love Fortuny, Gaston Danieli, Pierre Frey, Rose Uniacke, Harlequin, De La Cuona, Sandra Jordan, Loro Piana, and Casamance. For lighting, my favourites include John Pomp, Giapoto & Combes, and vintage finds; the thrill of the hunt is unmatched, and vintage lighting is a true obsession. For wallpaper, I often use De Gournay, Phillip Jeffries, and Élitis. Each of these suppliers brings craftsmanship, elegance, and distinctive personality to a space.
DESIGNEERS
Which city feels most like your spirit animal, design-wise?
Peti Lau
Los Angeles embodies my design spirit: a blend of nature and vibrant city life, with the mountains, desert, and ocean all within reach. Unlike New York’s in-your-face buzz, LA’s energy is hidden, revealing itself slowly in creative pockets. Its sprawling layout is full of neighbourhoods with unique stories and aesthetics, and you have to know where to look. Yes, it has a glossy surface, but underneath lies rich culture, contrasts, and reinvention. LA is eclectic, layered, eccentric, and soulful, just like the spaces I strive to create.
“I often describe the design process as filmmaking: my clients are the writers and producers, bringing the story, while I direct the visual and emotional experience.”
Peti Lau
DESIGNEERS
Your designs are so cinematic—if your interiors were a film genre, what would they be?
Peti Lau
Thank you, that’s one of the best compliments I could receive. I often describe the design process as filmmaking: my clients are the writers and producers, bringing the story, while I direct the visual and emotional experience. It’s about translating their narrative into a physical space they can live in and feel deeply connected to. If I had to compare my design style to a film, it would be like a Wong Kar-wai classic- romantic, moody, ambiguous in time, and layered with emotional nuance. In the Mood for Love and 2046 embody the atmosphere and storytelling I aim to bring into every project.
DESIGNEERS
What’s your “signature move” when a space needs that wow factor?
Peti Lau
If the budget is tight, my go-to is paint colour and lighting, both accessible and transformative. With an unlimited budget, I opt for hand-painted or hand-crafted wallpaper that wraps an entire space, including the ceiling, the often-forgotten “fifth wall.” This brings an immersive, dramatic effect that’s visually stunning and unique. A ceiling treatment always adds surprise and elevates the space. It’s a signature design move that leaves a lasting impression.
DESIGNEERS
Favourite design hotel in the world.
Peti Lau
El Fenn in Marrakech.
DESIGNEERS
Dream project with an unlimited budget?
Peti Lau
A boutique hotel group with properties in Patagonia, Mozambique, Mongolia, and Croatia, each designed to reflect its unique landscape and culture, creating an immersive, design-led guest experience. Alternatively, a private estate in Mexico or Central America, blending indoor and outdoor living with a raw yet refined aesthetic, something deeply rooted in memory and place. And I’d love to return to Southeast Asia to design a dreamlike, tropical private vacation home, an intimate escape that speaks to my soul. These projects would let me explore soulful storytelling through space on a global scale. Universe, I’m ready!
PhotographY creditS:
Brittany Ambridge
