Venus Williams Can’t Think Without Eating Fries
Venus Williams is a fierce competitor, and, at first glance, the over-6-foot-tall tennis champion can seem pretty intimidating. But up close, sitting inside the living room of a suite she designed at the InterContinental Miami, the Olympic medalist and tennis star proves to be poised, well spoken, and surprisingly mellow, which is admirable considering the bullets on her impressive résumé: over 60 combined single and double titles, four Olympic gold medals, a successful sportswear line, EleVen, and an interior design firm, V Starr Interiors, to boot.
And, although Williams’ demeanor is guarded, it’s obvious, with her boisterous laugh and wide, winning smile, that this power woman has more than one ambitious bone in her body. We caught up with the West Palm Beach resident last night at the unveiling of her most recent project, the InterContinental Miami — where she redesigned two presidential suites, six executive suites, and the 29th floor club lounge — and talked about what she likes to do at NYFW, why she doesn’t “throw away fashion,” and why she’s seriously devoted to French fries.
What was your inspiration for designing these rooms?
“I’m inspired by the things I see around the world, but this was definitely inspired by Miami — the city, landscapes, skyscrapers, those kinds of things. You see the cooler colors and something more modern. It’s like a bit of home inside of the hotel.”
If your best friend walked in here, what’s one thing that screams your name?
“Anyone who knows me knows that I like to spice things up and change things up. So, just putting everything together — all the different textures — to make something beautiful, that’s the most part that’s me.”
Click through to read more about Williams and how her style differs from her younger sister's!
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