Nancy Corzine’s boundless energy and many talents have led her to become one of this country’s most prominent interior, furniture, and textile designers. The company she founded 23 years ago now has 14 showrooms, two production facilities and a textile line of more than 2,000 selections. Her client list includes President Clinton, Madonna, and Brad Pitt. But when Animal Fair caught up with her in her Manhattan apartment, all she wanted to talk about was animals.
“In Los Angeles we’re in an industrial park near the freeway and a lot of people abandon their animals nearby, “ she said. “They [the animals] come to our gate. We always have food and water. We feed them and then we take them to our vet.”
Actually, Corzine does more than that. She arranges foster care, sends them to training, and works to place them in homes. “There’s a lovely woman who has a big yard and we pay her to keep them so they have a place to run,” Corzine continued. “Obviously, I can’t take all of them myself, but I have a producer friend who finds homes for them.”
She also has two very pampered pooches of her own: Coco and Lily, both Yorkshire Terriers. “I’ve had Coco for eight years. She goes everywhere with me. I’ve never left her alone. She has a nanny that stays with her when she can’t be with me.”
What advice does she offer for designing with our pets in mind? “Dogs are like children; they need to be trained. Nobody wants a dog around that isn’t well-trained.” She continued, “ I would never say to my dogs that they can’t get on the furniture. I’ve never had an animal destroy a piece of furniture. My dogs get a lot of attention and exercise. Animals only get destructive if they are ignored.”
Corzine emphasized considering your pets’ needs: “I see no reason to make your animals miserable. If you really love them, don’t put in a wall to wall white wool carpet.”
I asked her what had drawn her into furniture design. “I love chairs,” she said. “They are fascinating to me. But I’m just crazy about animals! I love all of God’s creatures.”
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