THE LEGACY OF LETA AUSTIN FOSTER

Leta Austin Foster, or Letsy, as she is universally known, grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, the great-granddaughter of one of the earliest pioneers in the state, who had come down from Virginia to make his fortune in phosphates and cattle. Her beloved grandmother was a world traveler who instilled in her an appreciation for European art, history, and culture, which she would continue to explore and research her entire life.

After she moved to Palm Beach, Leta was consulted on the decoration of so many of her friends’ homes that she finally launched her own interior design firm in 1975 in the garage apartment of her home. Armed with an arsenal of historical knowledge, she was able to work effortlessly amid the divergent architectural styles that had taken root in the island’s storied building history—from the exotic Spanish styling of Maurice Fatio villas to the tropical Bermuda-style bungalows of John Volk. But unlike many resort decorators, Leta eschewed the cutesy for distinctive design of the utmost quality.

Soon, word traveled about her talent for creating timeless yet never boring rooms with exquisitely made curtains and impeccable upholstery. From historic saltboxes in New England to Italianate palazzos in Texas and Tyrolean ski chalets in Colorado, her work ran the gamut of her clients’ broad spectrum of preferences.

With projects multiplying across the country, Leta opened a New York office in 1988 with her daughter, Sallie Giordano. A decade later, she established her eponymous shop on Via Mizner to properly supply her clients and customers with the finest linens and home accessories that her interiors demanded. Keenly attentive to detail, Leta can still be found sitting at the custom linen table in her trademark straw hat, designing the perfect monogram in exactly the right shade to complement a particular bedroom scheme. She has been published countless times and is the recipient of many awards, including an honorary doctorate from the NY School of Interior Design.