Jed Johnson (designer)

Jed Johnson
Born	(1948-12-30) 30 December 1948 Alexandria, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	17 July 1996(1996-07-17) (aged 47)
Occupation(s)	Interior designer, film director
Known for	Influential American interior designer; film director; longtime partner of Andy Warhol

Jed Johnson (December 30, 1948 – July 17, 1996) was an influential American interior designer and film director. The New York Times hailed him as "one of the most distinguished interior designers of our era."

Johnson relocated to New York in 1968, initially taking on various odd jobs at Andy Warhol's famed The Factory. After Warhol survived an assassination attempt, Johnson moved into Warhol’s residence to support his recovery, marking the start of a 12-year romantic relationship. Within the Factory, Johnson progressed from assistant roles to directing films, including Bad (1977), and editing titles such as Trash (1970) and Blood for Dracula (1974). Following Warhol’s passing, Johnson played a key role in establishing the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board.

Shifting his focus to interior design, Johnson founded a decorating firm after renovating the townhouse he shared with Warhol. His clientele featured prominent figures like Mick Jagger, Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent, and Barbra Streisand. By the time of his death in the 1996 TWA Flight 800 disaster, Johnson had become a major force in interior design.

After his death, Johnson was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame, and Architectural Digest included him among "The World's 20 Greatest Designers of All Time." In 2005, Rizzoli released Jed Johnson: Opulent Restraint, Interiors, a comprehensive monograph authored by his twin brother Jay Johnson.

Early life and education

Born on December 30, 1948, in Alexandria, Minnesota, Jed Johnson was the fourth child among six siblings and had a fraternal twin brother named Jay. The family relocated first to Scottsdale, Arizona and later to Fair Oaks, California, where their father was employed in construction. Following their parents’ divorce, their mother Vivian Christopher became the family's sole breadwinner. During junior high school, Johnson dated journalist Joan Lunden, with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. While still in high school, he attended a summer architecture course at American River Junior College. After graduating from Bella Vista High School in 1967, he enrolled at American River College.

Johnson and his brother Jay took a semester off to travel cross-country with a friend who was an AWOL soldier. Their journey included stops in San Francisco—where they witnessed Jimi Hendrix at the Fillmore—and after their car broke down near Los Angeles, they hitchhiked to Chicago to visit their father. Attempting to reach Montreal by train, they were detained near Buffalo due to suspicions of draft evasion and ultimately took a bus to New York City.

Settling in Manhattan's East Village, they rented an apartment but were soon robbed of their remaining $200. While collecting funds sent by their mother, both found employment at Western Union.

Relationship with Andy Warhol and film career

In February 1968, during his third day working at Western Union, Johnson delivered a telegram to Andy Warhol’s new studio located at 33 Union Square West. Paul Morrissey, Warhol’s film collaborator, recruited Johnson to assist in organizing operations at the Factory. Beginning with manual labor such as wood stripping, Johnson became the Factory’s first regularly salaried employee since Gerard Malanga. With Warhol’s financial support for him and his brother, they were able to relocate to a safer neighborhood.

On June 3, 1968, while Johnson was installing lights at the Factory, radical feminist Valerie Solanas shot Warhol. Johnson sought cover during the shooting and helped secure the scene until authorities arrived. Throughout Warhol’s hospitalization period, Johnson visited daily and moved into Warhol’s townhouse at 1342 Lexington Avenue to assist with his convalescence and care for Warhol’s mother. He brought structure to the household and accompanied Julia Warhola on medical appointments.

Johnson cultivated an interest in film production under the mentorship of Warhol and Morrissey. He contributed to underground films such as Flesh (1968), where he also appeared uncredited as an actor. In 1969, his photography was featured in Al Hansen's underground publication Kiss, later becoming a staff photographer for Warhol’s Interview magazine.

Known for being extremely reserved and shy, Johnson remained a constant presence within Warhol’s inner circle, accompanying him on travels related to exhibitions and commissions. The media referred to him as "Andy's shadow" and "Warhol's new standard of male beauty."

Johnson is widely regarded as the model behind the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers (1971) album cover designed by Warhol—a close-up image of a man's crotch featuring a functional zipper.

He edited numerous films including Trash (1970), Heat (1972), L'Amour (1972), Flesh for Frankenstein (1973), and Blood for Dracula (1974). His directorial debut came with Bad (1977), which garnered mixed critical reception and failed commercially; following this setback he redirected his efforts toward dealing antiques.

By 1977, tensions grew between Johnson and Warhol due to Warhol's increasingly indulgent lifestyle and new social circles. Socially withdrawn himself, Johnson distanced from Studio 54 scenes. He battled depression exacerbated by emotional estrangement from Warhol and made two suicide attempts during their relationship. His ambitions to become a pilot were interrupted by these struggles.

In October 1980, while still residing with Warhol, Johnson acquired a duplex at 15 West 67th Street intended for his interior design business. He moved out following a December skiing trip that year; although no longer living together they continued co-parenting their two dachshunds. That Christmas season saw Johnson express ongoing affection for Warhol despite their separation.

In 1982, Warhol revised his will excluding Johnson; Fred Hughes remained executor while Vincent Fremont replaced Johnson as alternate executor. Their breakup was considered one of Warhol’s deepest regrets by friends. Reportedly years later Warhol still carried a photo of Johnson in his wallet. Profoundly affected by Warhol’s death in 1987, Johnson acknowledged the enduring impact of their relationship. In 1995 he co-established the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board to verify works attributed to the artist.

Johnson collected an extensive array of Warhol silkscreens including pieces like Silver Elvis, Front and Back Dollar Bills, Mao, Flowers, and Self-Portrait. Additionally, Warhol created portraits featuring Johnson and their dachshunds. Upon Johnson’s passing, this collection was inherited by his twin brother Jay.

Interior design career

In 1974, Johnson acquired a townhouse at 57 East 66th Street in Lenox Hill for Warhol, managing its interior decoration and collaborating with architect Peter Marino on renovation efforts. Inspired by journeys taken with Warhol, Johnson enriched Warhol's art collections and explored design influences from Neoclassical, Art Deco, and Victorian periods. Chemist and art collector Stuart Pivar commended Johnson’s elegant period interiors, highlighting his role in shaping Warhol’s affinity for classical aesthetics. Additionally, Johnson supported Marino in the redesign of Warhol’s Factory relocation to 860 Broadway in 1974.

By 1977, Johnson co-founded a decorating firm alongside antique enthusiast Judith Hollander, capitalizing on his ties to Warhol to secure celebrity clientele. Their collaborations included projects for Peter Brant and the office building of Joe Allen in Greenwich, Connecticut, as well as interior designs for the Brants’ residences in Vail, Colorado, and Greenwich.

Johnson’s initial significant commission arrived in 1978 when French entrepreneur Pierre Bergé engaged him to design a pied-à-terre at The Pierre hotel in New York City. Endorsed by Warhol to Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent, Johnson and Hollander teamed with Marino to craft an opulently furnished apartment showcasing Neo-Grec and American Empire motifs. This project was prominently featured in the May 1979 issue of Vogue. The following year, Johnson and Hollander designed the New York offices for Yves Saint Laurent Enterprises alongside architect Michael Hollander.

By mid-1980, Interview magazine had labeled Johnson as the "master of interior design and period restoration."

In 1980, Johnson formed both a personal and professional alliance with architect Alan Wanzenberg. Together they established a design firm in 1982 while maintaining separate practices—Alan Wanzenberg Architect P.C. and Jed Johnson & Associates—sharing office space and resources.

Johnson’s firm attracted an impressive roster of clients including Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Bianca Jagger, Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, and Carl Icahn. His work encompassed renovating the headquarters of Interview magazine and designing exhibition spaces for Sperone Westwater Gallery. He also contributed to the interior design of Twin Farms resort in Vermont. Known for his generosity, Johnson frequently gifted furniture pieces to friends who could not afford his professional services.

Although he lacked formal education in design, Johnson possessed a sharp eye for detail across various styles. He characterized his approach as a continuous learning process without adhering to a fixed signature style. Wanzenberg acknowledged Johnson’s early insight into the relationship between Arts and Crafts furniture and contemporary art. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger lauded Johnson’s talent for harmonizing textures and forms to produce elegant interiors. Over time, Johnson admired designers including Renzo Mongiardino, Jacques Grange, Patrick Naggar, Peter Marino, Stephen Sill, and Philippe Starck.

In 1991, Johnson and Wanzenberg participated in Metropolitan Home magazine’s ShowHouse event benefiting the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS (DIFFA) in New York City. They also acted as honorary chairs for the Katonah Museum of Art gala dinner dance held in 1995.

Johnson and Wanzenberg shared ownership of a dachshund named Gus and possessed a two-home estate on Fire Island that had formerly belonged to fashion designer Perry Ellis.

Death

On July 17, 1996, Johnson tragically lost his life at age 47 when TWA Flight 800 exploded off Long Island shortly after departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Traveling first class, he was instantly killed by the fuel tank detonation; his remains were among the earliest recovered from the Atlantic Ocean. Johnson was en route to Paris on an antiques procurement trip for a client. Although originally scheduled to fly the following day, TWA upgraded him to first class the evening before as recognition of his loyalty.

His longtime friend Joan Lunden, co-host of Good Morning America, honored him with an on-air tribute sharing personal recollections and acknowledging Alan Wanzenberg as his domestic partner. This acknowledgment received praise from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which had previously noted that Wanzenberg was referred to only as Johnson's business associate.

A funeral service held on July 24, 1996 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in Manhattan attracted more than 1,000 attendees including prominent figures such as Bianca Jagger, Joan Lunden, and Joel Siegel. Reverend Fred Turpin led the ceremony condemning the tragedy. Speakers including Fran Lebowitz, Pat Hackett, and Ruby Wax shared their memories of Johnson. Wanzenberg attended accompanied by their dachshund Gus. Also present was Johnson’s longtime housekeeper Aurora Bugarin.

Following a four-year investigation, it was concluded that a mixture of fuel vapor and air ignited by an electrical short circuit caused the crash. This finding prompted new aviation safety regulations aimed at preventing future fuel tank explosions.

Legacy

Following his passing, House & Garden dedicated an entire issue to Johnson’s work while Architectural Digest published an extensive five-page photographic feature showcasing his interiors. His friend Ingrid Sischy, then editor-in-chief of Interview magazine, commemorated him in its Winter 1996 edition. That same year marked his induction into the Interior Design Hall of Fame.

Johnson’s twin brother Jay inherited Jed Johnson & Associates. In 1997, Arthur Dunnam—a protégé—was appointed design director as the firm transitioned to Jed Johnson Associates. The company was rebranded as Arthur Dunnam for Jed Johnson Studio in 2017 before adopting the name Dunnam Zerbini Design in 2024.

In 2005, Jay Johnson launched Jed Johnson Home to continue his brother’s legacy by providing luxury textiles tailored for designers and architects. That year also saw Rizzoli publish Jed Johnson: Opulent Restraint, a monograph chronicling his career with contributions from architecture critic Paul Goldberger, former Interview editor Bob Colacello, Yves Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Bergé, and Sandy Brant. A commemorative reissue appeared in 2023.

In 2010, Architectural Digest ranked Johnson among "The World's 20 Greatest Designers of All Time." His connection with Warhol received renewed attention through the 2022 Netflix docuseries The Andy Warhol Diaries.

Filmography

Director

• Bad (1977)

Associate Producer

• Women in Revolt (1971)
• Heat (1972)

Cinematographer

• Women in Revolt (1971)
• L'Amour (1972)

Editor

• Trash (1970)
• Heat (1972)
• L'Amour (1972)
• Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)
• Blood for Dracula (1974)

Bibliography

• Bockris, Victor. Warhol. Da Capo Press, 1997. 2nd ed., New York.
• Gopnik, Blake. Warhol. Ecco, 2020. New York.
• Johnson, Jay. Jed Johnson: Opulent Restraint, Interiors. Rizzoli, 2005. New York.
• Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat. The Andy Warhol Diaries. Warner Books, 1989. New York.