Tan France Designs a Massive Walk-In Closet For His New Home
Tan France is back with Architectural Digest for the latest episode of Home at Last. Known for his fashion expertise on Queer Eye and Next in Fashion, Tan works with The Fox Group to design a stunning walk-in closet for his Salt Lake City home. Inspired by his South Asian heritage, Tan wanted a space full of rich color, texture, and motifs–join him as he goes from concept to construction creating a space worthy of his clothes.
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00:00 Hello, everyone. My name is Tan France. You might know me from the likes of
00:03 Mixed in Fashion or Queer Eye, but today I'm letting you in on my most personal
00:08 project to date, the build of my dream home right here in Salt Lake City. I'm going to take you
00:14 through to the likes of my spice kitchen, my cottage, my closet, the exterior, interior,
00:18 and pretty much everything in between. You're going to love where we're going with this. Come join me.
00:22 [Music]
00:37 When I was a kid, I always knew that I wanted to end up in fashion or style. I didn't understand
00:44 how I was going to navigate my way through this, but I wanted to deal with clothes somehow. I
00:48 started work at 15. I needed to work at 15. And I worked a part-time job, and then I started doing
00:56 school part-time because we needed money. And so therefore, I worked a full-time job from 17.
01:01 And so often, I put my dreams to one side because we didn't come from a wealthy family, but I always
01:08 fantasized about what I wanted life to be, and that was the motivator for all of my work,
01:14 especially when I started my own business. Always seeing this as my north star,
01:18 thinking one day I'm going to own a home.
01:20 [Music]
01:29 I'm Tom Fox with the Fox Group.
01:31 And I'm Cara Fox. Welcome to our office. We are helping Tan and Rob build their dream home.
01:37 Yay, welcome.
01:38 We sat down with Tom and Cara last year to talk through every one of the designs that Rob and
01:44 I had come up with, and then to see how that would work in real life.
01:48 There are a lot of details where, let's put it this way, they're a first for us.
01:53 All of these creations are just new and original to this home.
01:56 I think the room that will be the most talked about room will be his closet.
02:01 Okay, sorry, Rob had to go. Baby, you know how it is.
02:04 Got to do it. Baby calls.
02:05 But can we talk about my closet?
02:08 [Music]
02:11 So, I've been into fashion since I was a kid. I've been obsessed with it.
02:15 I didn't have a closet when I was a kid. And so I always dreamt of a walk-in closet.
02:19 I basically based it on this image.
02:23 In Pakistan, you'll see a lot of geometry.
02:25 And so I really want to incorporate that into the design.
02:29 For example, the stars, you will see almost everywhere, all over.
02:34 India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, loads of it.
02:36 So I want to incorporate that as much as possible.
02:38 And then scalloping, which you see here.
02:41 I also love color, but Indian color is a lot of color.
02:46 This is a swing. It's like a day bed.
02:49 But hanging from a ceiling.
02:50 Hanging from the ceiling.
02:51 We have three separate sections of this closet.
02:53 It's all in one space, but I want to divide it up.
02:57 Runway section, but I want a trifold mirror.
03:00 There's this iconic image. Do you know who this lady is, straight man?
03:03 No.
03:04 Get out!
03:06 This woman here is Judy Garland, icon.
03:08 This trifold mirror is something that I love
03:11 because it gives you a look at the front and the side of your outfit
03:14 and the back of your outfit.
03:15 I know you've done gorgeous closets.
03:17 Does this worry you?
03:18 Does this feel like the kind of thing that you've done before?
03:21 Tell me about it.
03:21 Well, we most definitely haven't done this type of finished carpentry before.
03:26 You've never done this before.
03:27 That seems strange for you here in Utah.
03:29 We've done some elaborate finished carpentry.
03:32 And some of our guys are the best in the business.
03:34 And so this will be a unique challenge.
03:35 But I'm very confident that we'll be able to execute on what you want.
03:39 The appreciation for the details is what's going to make this room so special.
03:43 It's almost like it's layering upon layering of design and character and you.
03:47 And I think we should stop calling it a closet.
03:49 It's a room. It's rooms.
03:51 And perfect for Tan France.
03:54 [Music]
04:08 Getting to create your own home,
04:11 to design every space,
04:13 to dictate where the stairs will go,
04:15 where windows will go,
04:17 that I don't take lightly.
04:18 I know that I had to work so tirelessly to get to this point.
04:24 And I honestly didn't think it was ever going to happen.
04:26 That's why this means more to me than anyone could ever, ever imagine.
04:30 I have planned what I think is the most beautiful, unique closet.
04:36 It's going to be broken up into three spaces.
04:38 This space, first space, is the space that's going to have all of my outerwear and my suiting.
04:44 This whole back wall is going to be a shoe wall that I'm so excited about.
04:49 Will it house all of my shoes? Probably not.
04:52 Have I already outgrown this wall? I sure have.
04:54 There will be a swing in here.
04:57 Not the kind of swing you're thinking of.
05:00 Dirty, dirty, dirty.
05:01 This space is so important to me because it's going to have a trifold mirror.
05:06 This is where I will create most of my content.
05:09 I hate to say content because it is what it is.
05:12 It's my job.
05:13 And this is where I'm going to have open cabinets or open shelving.
05:17 We're going to have a massive island in here that's going to house all of my t-shirts, my underwear.
05:23 There's going to be a wall that will house all of my denim.
05:27 There's going to be a wall that houses all of my extra knitwear.
05:31 So it's going to be such a functional space.
05:34 Now, let's bring in Cara and Tom and they can explain more.
05:37 My biggest concern is that I don't want it to feel like a Western take on South Asian.
05:42 I want it to feel like you fell into South Asia.
05:45 True character.
05:45 Yeah, I want you to walk into this room and think,
05:48 "It feels like I've entered a Maharaja's palace."
05:51 If the Maharaja had a shopping addiction like I have.
05:55 Sure.
05:56 That's what I want.
05:57 So I talked about wanting detail on the ceiling.
06:01 We're actually going to bring in a few beams here and here to separate this space
06:05 so it has its own kind of identity, right?
06:08 You spoke a little bit about the mirror.
06:09 The mirror is going to be custom made for you.
06:11 And on the side walls, there's going to be like a lattice trellis system,
06:15 one you would see in maybe India or Pakistan.
06:17 And then we're going to create these amazing corbels that will hold the beams that come across.
06:21 And all those little intricate details will play to this vibe.
06:25 Pretty authentic.
06:26 Detailing on the ceiling, the detailing on the walls, Rob's already...
06:29 He's actually the mastermind behind it.
06:31 Yeah.
06:32 And he's drawing these beautiful details that we're going to take
06:34 and then we have to go to work to bring them to life.
06:36 Can't wait.
06:37 It's going to be gorgeous.
06:38 It's going to be gorgeous.
06:39 To me, like no other closet you've ever done, anyone's ever done.
06:43 [Music]
07:11 I am on my way to the property to build.
07:15 I've not seen the house within the last couple of months.
07:18 I think what was surprising for me is when the drywall went up,
07:22 the closet downstairs, Tan's closet, is huge.
07:27 I know originally, they were worried about the size and the space.
07:31 And this is Tan France's closet.
07:34 Like it better be...
07:35 It has to be perfect.
07:36 I hope it's everything he wants it to be.
07:38 Because you know, in his mind, he had this like amazing vision for this closet.
07:41 So I just don't want him to walk in and be like,
07:43 "This isn't it."
07:45 Or "This is it."
07:46 I just hope he's happy.
07:47 I am such a type A person.
07:49 I want control of literally everything.
07:51 I just hope that whatever has been done over the last few weeks is to my liking.
07:57 If it's not, there's going to be a very awkward conversation.
08:00 I'm not willing to just say, "Sure, that's fine."
08:03 It needs to be perfect.
08:06 To me, I hope when he sees it today,
08:08 he can feel the heart and soul that has been put into this.
08:10 Oh my gosh, what if he starts yelling at us, "Get this out of the house!"
08:14 Okay, my closet.
08:29 How's it coming along first off?
08:31 It's a big space to fill.
08:33 Not clothes-wise.
08:34 I've already filled it.
08:36 Already went out the room.
08:37 So this is where most of my content is created,
08:40 and so much of my job is creating content.
08:43 I'm 40.
08:43 I turned 40 this year.
08:46 Don't lie to me.
08:47 -Day over 20. -I turned 40 this year.
08:49 Thank you so much.
08:50 Botox, kids at 17.
08:51 No, 40 this year.
08:53 And so I want to make sure that at every point, light is good.
08:58 We've gone over the mirror placement, the angles,
09:01 so that they're adjustable,
09:02 so that nothing is harsh.
09:04 It's like the exact light that you want for content.
09:06 Great.
09:07 Every other space in the house,
09:08 or many of the other spaces in the house,
09:10 have a whisper of South Asia.
09:14 This is the only space that is fully South Asian.
09:18 From what you've seen, is it looking like Vegas?
09:21 And by that, I mean, you know, it's a dodgy knockoff of...
09:24 -Disneyland Vegas. -Yeah.
09:25 I see your concern,
09:27 and that was, I think, a big concern of ours as well.
09:30 This is not like a movie set.
09:33 I mean, this is like detailed, cut out, hand stenciled,
09:38 the finest cabinetry in the world.
09:40 I went to Chris's workshop to see just what the progress was
09:44 of this new work.
09:45 Okay.
09:48 This is for my closet.
09:51 Are you calling corbels?
09:53 The corbels for the doorways.
09:55 The face will be a clay color.
09:57 -Great. -That is this color right here.
09:58 Great.
09:58 And the other side will be the greenish cream color.
10:00 Once it's done, it'll be sanded down,
10:03 -perfectly smooth, crisp, crisp. -Yep.
10:04 And this will actually get beveled on the edges here
10:06 to soften that edge,
10:07 and then it will get stenciled on the sides.
10:10 Oh, and then there's going to be the little thing at the bottom.
10:12 Yeah, I added that in last minute.
10:13 That's nice.
10:14 -I thought it looked cool, so I added that. -That's really nice.
10:16 Yeah, beautiful.
10:17 That is one of my favorite smells in the world,
10:18 and I would just sniff that as a kid.
10:20 So if anyone's ever wondering why I'm batshit crazy, that.
10:24 Okay.
10:25 Wow.
10:26 So this is the CNC machine.
10:28 This is the one that gives us all the incredible detail.
10:31 Correct. I haven't even taken this off yet.
10:32 What is-- This is wood, right?
10:36 -What is it? -This is HDM.
10:38 Okay.
10:38 So it's a fiberboard.
10:40 If we did this in wood, it would crack.
10:41 It would expand, contract.
10:43 -It would get out of control. -Okay.
10:44 So this will get placed on a backer,
10:47 and these will get painted separately.
10:49 -Okay. -So that we can get a nice,
10:49 smooth finish on the back.
10:51 -Paint this separate. -Great.
10:52 This is the frame, which accepts it all.
10:57 -Wow. -So this will all fit inside that.
10:59 That is freaking-- Can I swear?
11:02 That is fucking gorgeous.
11:04 This takes about two hours to cut.
11:05 Just that one piece?
11:06 Just this one piece takes about two hours to cut.
11:08 And there's nine of them in this room, I believe.
11:11 -Stressed about it? -No, no.
11:13 Feeling good about it.
11:13 You have no idea how proud my mom's gonna be.
11:16 Like, you have no idea.
11:18 She's gonna love this.
11:27 This is for the mirror room.
11:28 Yeah.
11:29 Which these are the two walls flanking the back wall,
11:31 which has all the mirrors.
11:32 This is just a piece of the puzzle.
11:34 There's a lot happening in this space.
11:36 Okay.
11:36 This is everything kind of pre-layered for you to see.
11:40 That is so stupid good.
11:46 This color is this background.
11:49 This will stay white.
11:51 This will be the clay.
11:52 And then inside of this will be stenciled white.
11:55 I can't even articulate it.
11:56 It's incredible.
11:58 That is just bonkers.
12:01 All this from an image.
12:03 I know.
12:04 That Rob created.
12:05 On an iPad.
12:07 That's incredible.
12:10 Did you ever just imagine that you'd be designing Indian work?
12:13 No, no.
12:14 But it's been great.
12:16 [Music]
12:18 We've started the install of the cabinets.
12:38 They're well underway.
12:39 I think we have more lineal footage of cabinets in that closet
12:43 than we put in most people's homes.
12:45 Entire home.
12:45 It's a special place.
12:46 Obviously, we're right in the middle of install.
12:48 And so the rest of the baseboards and the crown and the floating detail
12:52 through the middle of these cabinets have to come in.
12:53 But it looks pretty great.
12:54 Look how the CNC trim work of the little scallop turned out.
12:58 Perfect skill.
12:59 I also love how the white oak is layered behind the glass.
13:03 Yeah.
13:03 And he'll probably have his clothes perfectly color matched inside these things.
13:07 And the swing that's going to be coming right where I'm standing.
13:10 Yeah.
13:11 Custom light fixtures.
13:12 The custom swing.
13:14 Custom cabinets.
13:15 It's the custom hardware pieces.
13:17 Stenciling.
13:17 Custom stenciling.
13:18 So they all have to come together all in the next few weeks.
13:21 It's going to be mayhem for sure.
13:23 Super excited to see all of Tan's clothes in here.
13:26 I'm sure you are.
13:27 [Music]
13:29 [Music]
13:52 Can you believe it's here?
13:53 Finally.
13:54 Let me get everything set up.
13:55 Let me figure out this wardrobe space.
13:57 And then I'm going to shave things that are going to blow your mind.
14:00 Good?
14:00 Go.
14:01 I'm thinking I want to put all of my sneakers up top.
14:04 Trainers for you Brits.
14:06 And my more formal shoes towards the bottom.
14:09 And I know that some of my shoes are insane.
14:12 I understand that.
14:13 I work in television.
14:14 [Music]
14:18 I put my little handbags there because I think that that's gorgeous.
14:22 [Music]
14:24 I break my knitwear into two categories.
14:27 Thin knits and chunky knits.
14:30 They're color coordinated as well.
14:32 Duh.
14:32 And then I like to separate out my blazers from my trousers.
14:37 So if my pants are separate, it means, okay, I'm choosing this blazer.
14:42 Would I wear the matching pants?
14:44 Absolutely.
14:45 But do I want to see what else is available?
14:47 I sure do.
14:48 And therefore, I'm going to go with a different color pant.
14:50 It just makes dressing a lot easier.
14:52 [Music]
14:57 I think when styling Closet Island or any island, any coffee table really,
15:01 it's all about placement and making sure we have enough variety.
15:05 [Music]
15:12 Okay.
15:13 Now that all of my wardrobe is in and situated, it is time to reveal my closet.
15:19 [Music]
15:41 Yes!
15:42 This is a swing in my closet.
15:46 I wanted to infuse a bit of South Asian-ness into this.
15:51 We typically have swings instead of a sofa.
15:54 The color of this is very much traditional.
15:56 If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
15:58 I wanted to go extra with this closet.
16:00 And this was the most extra thing I could think of.
16:02 I've kept all of my jazzy footwear here so that when you enter the closet,
16:07 the lights hit, glistens gorgeously.
16:09 This is now finally organized.
16:11 We go from sneakers to sandals to shoes.
16:14 I love everywhere you go in the house, you're going to see little details.
16:18 This one is obviously the geoprint that me and Rob came up with.
16:21 And then we transition from this blue section into the clay section,
16:27 which is where I will do my content.
16:30 I think this is next level.
16:32 This detail, we wanted to have dimension.
16:34 So it looks a lot more dramatic to have this trellis on it,
16:39 this latticework, as opposed to just a flat print.
16:43 I really wanted it to feel as authentic as physically possible.
16:45 I wanted a trifold mirror initially.
16:49 The fox group came up with something that I'm obsessed with,
16:51 which is this mirror situation.
16:53 I think that's a really cool hybrid of East and West, love.
16:57 And then finally, I want to bring you into my cream or beige section.
17:02 Completely over the top, but I think is magical.
17:06 So you will see we've added this floral detail that Rob designed for me
17:12 for this closet, and then we had it painted on.
17:14 All of this is, I think, so special and hand-painted.
17:19 We've also added the little medallions on top.
17:22 I know that this is ludicrous that I've just got a picture of myself,
17:25 but it's my closet, why not?
17:26 And then this stuff all over here.
17:30 It's not completely colour-coordinated yet, but I'm working on it.
17:34 It's a work in progress.
17:35 All of my suiting, all of my shirting,
17:38 and then all of my separate trousers that don't go with suits.
17:42 And then in the middle, we have my island.
17:45 So on the face of this island, you'll see it's just a simple Western island.
17:49 However, on the end, we've incorporated the geoprint lattice work
17:55 that I think is just a lovely little touch.
17:57 So it's not just a very random Western piece of island or cabinetry
18:02 with all this salvation-ness.
18:04 And if you look above, yes, we've got the kind of lighting
18:07 to really give us what we need as far as lighting goes,
18:09 but also these gloves, which are the custom gloves from Sienna Lighting.
18:13 Again, with that same geometric print and pattern
18:16 that we've got on the side here.
18:17 So it really does tie together, and it's so, so considered.
18:23 All right, Tom, shall we dissect?
18:27 Yes, let's do it.
18:28 Okay, the amount of work that went into it, tell me about it.
18:31 So the past month, particularly in this area, it has been a zoo.
18:35 It's been crazy.
18:36 All of the finished carpentry details, all of the finished cabinetry details,
18:42 all of the stenciling, literally every single paint you see in here
18:47 has been done by a small, tiny brush.
18:50 Wonderful woman called Marjorie, who's done all of this detail.
18:55 She's painted it all for us.
18:56 So everywhere you see a white line or a cobble that's got a floral detail,
19:01 Marjorie did that, and I think she did the most gorgeous job.
19:04 We love her.
19:04 Well, the beautiful thing is every single one of these designs,
19:07 it was created by you and Rob.
19:09 Every detail in this closet means something to you.
19:12 It's special to you.
19:13 Yeah.
19:13 How is hanging a swing sensible?
19:17 When you said, "Hey, we want to do this swing in my closet,"
19:21 that's not a typical ask, right?
19:25 Exciting, though, right?
19:26 It's incredible.
19:27 Very exciting.
19:28 It was this old antique swing that Tam procured.
19:31 We got it here, and then we had to clean it up.
19:33 We had to refinish it, then obviously support the chains,
19:36 hang it, and make sure that it was perfect in the room.
19:39 Do you know what is lovely is we're both Asian,
19:42 and you know how much we love color.
19:44 Our communities love color, and it can go way too far.
19:48 I think that we've been really restrained with how we've used it, where we've used it.
19:54 Yeah.
19:55 The colors, I think, blend so beautifully with each other.
19:58 We did it very muted where it needed to be, but also bold where it could be.
20:02 Yeah, the custom millwork on the ceiling.
20:04 It's so detailed, and there's some heaviness to it, but it's not overbearing.
20:08 And so I think that's what's kind of the trick.
20:12 I love everything that your team have done,
20:14 but I think this shows their skill better than anything else in the house.
20:18 I think originally when you sat down and said, "Here is the vision for this closet,"
20:23 I think all our minds were blown.
20:26 We were just like, "Whoa, this is a lot."
20:28 Just hours and hours pouring over the cabinetry details alone,
20:33 and where to curve, and so many different versions that we went through,
20:38 and so many different colors that we went through until it was this.
20:42 Well, thank you so much for your patience.
20:45 I really appreciate it.
20:46 I know this was really, really stressful, but your team's executed it incredibly.
20:52 Incredibly.
20:53 I can't even tell you how much I appreciate this one in particular,
20:57 because my family have seen pictures of it, and they get emotional,
21:00 and they're like, "You incorporated a real part of our culture into your home,
21:04 and that's mind-blowing for our people."
21:06 So thank you so much. Thank you so much.
21:07 Now, I love you so much that I'm going to do you a solid.
21:11 Please do.
21:13 He looks just fine.
21:16 Fine, yeah.
21:16 Lovely. You're a very handsome man.
21:18 What are we doing?
21:18 You could look better.
21:20 Oh, boy.
21:20 Okay.
21:21 What we're feeling.
21:23 Oh, I'm excited.
21:25 I won't turn you into Tam Brans, I promise,
21:26 because if I were to, I'd put you in something wild, but it's not that.
21:30 We need like a construction vibe, but smart.
21:35 I like it cropped out a bit.
21:35 Wait, wait, say no more, say no more, say no more.
21:37 I've got something that's custom and perfect.
21:41 Okay, no, we're not the same size, but this is oversized, so don't worry.
21:47 We tried on.
21:48 Oh, it's a car heart.
21:50 It's like laboring dudes wear a heart.
21:53 Yeah, okay.
21:55 Oh, boy.
21:56 Is it going to fit?
21:57 Hey, I think that's pretty solid.
22:01 Elevated construction.
22:02 Is this like a custom car heart jacket?
22:03 It sure is.
22:04 There's only one in the world.
22:05 Thank you so much.
22:06 Oh, there you go.
22:06 Thomas.
22:07 Yes.
22:08 Do you want to be the first person that checks out their outfit in my mirror?
22:10 Oh, I better.
22:11 You may.
22:12 Amazing.
22:15 You remember when we used to call this runway room?
22:17 I, I, yeah, because it was.
22:19 That's right.
22:19 Will you start making your best runway walk?
22:21 Oh, my God.
22:22 So think confidence, think style, think chic, think powerful.
22:25 Think sexy.
22:26 Oh, gorgeous.
22:27 Come on, Tom.
22:28 Originally, Tan was like, I just want it simple.
22:35 I'm just going to a place where I can just hang up my clothes, look at them, do my work.
22:38 And then all of a sudden it's transformed into a place where it's like, hey, I need this to represent
22:43 me, where I'm from, what I've been doing for the past, you know, several decades.
22:49 He wanted it to feel like, like him.
22:51 I think it just exudes Tan.
22:55 His life's work is in this closet.
22:58 All the memories, sentiments, the awards.
23:01 It's a pretty incredible place.
23:03 And it was an honor to bring it to life for him.
23:05 Everyone's idea of success is different.
23:08 But to me, it's those things that I fantasized about as a kid.
23:11 And it's not luxury.
23:13 It's not about an expensive space.
23:15 It's just a space that feels inviting and put together and considered.
23:20 You would have shown me this as a kid and said, what is this?
23:24 One day that's going to be your closet.
23:26 I wouldn't have stopped for a year.
23:28 I think this is mind-blowing.
23:30 [Music]
23:40 [Music]
23:50 [Music]
24:00 [Music]