Q&A About Being an Interior Designer in Westchester

I get asked a lot of the same questions, at consultations, at school pickup, and by people who have just moved up here and are trying to figure out where to start. Here are the answers, written down.

What do you love most about designing in Westchester?

I work with families whose homes really get used. Kids, grandkids, pets, people who have friends and family over all the time. I like making sure a house functions as well as it looks. That is a fun challenge, and it feels more meaningful when you are designing for it to work for the family and be beautiful at the same time.

How would you describe Westchester style in three words?

Classic, comfortable, and eclectic. There isn't one distinct style here. The houses were built in all different eras, and homeowners come with their own style and perspective. A center hall colonial in Chappaqua and a mid-century ranch in Briarcliff are not asking for the same things, and neither are the two families living in them.

What is one design trend you are loving right now?

I love that people are using wallpaper and color throughout their houses again. It comes from something bigger, which is that homeowners are braver about expressing themselves now. Nobody wants their house to look like everyone else's.

What is one design trend you are ready to say goodbye to?

Houses that look like showrooms. All neutral looks flat and boring to me. A house needs color and pattern and personality, something individual to the people who actually live in it.

Where do you find design inspiration?

I came to interiors from fashion, so I still look there first, mostly at textiles and color combinations. Travel is a big one too, along with architecture, art, and museums. And I get a lot from my clients themselves, because there is almost always something they already own and love that informs the design to reflect who they are.

What is your favorite part of the design process?

My favorite part is installation day. That is when custom pieces come to life after months on paper, and a curated look finally comes together as a whole. It is also when I get to see my clients happy, which never gets old.

What makes great design memorable?

Usually it is one piece of furniture or a piece of art that makes a bold statement and tells you something about the homeowner's personality and interests. That is always what guests ask about when they come over.

What does being part of the Westchester design community mean to you?

This is a fairly solitary job, so it is good to have other designers to lean on. I can ask somebody for advice, or for information like who the best trades are to work with. You learn a lot from the people doing the same work near you.

Great design is...

Great design is the marriage of form and function. It should be beautiful to look at, and it should work for the way you live in the space.

Westchester is special because...

Westchester is special because people move here to stay long term. They raise their families and stay for decades. My clients take pride in maintaining their homes, and in having the house transition as the family ages and changes.

What excites you most about the future of design in Westchester?

My clients are getting braver. People used to be open to a pop of color in the accessories or the art, and now they are willing to make bolder choices in the bigger pieces, like the wall color or the sofa or the rug. It is a much more fun conversation to have.

If you are starting a project

Everything above comes down to the same thing. I design homes for the way families actually live in them, with more color and more pattern than most people think they are allowed, and rooms nobody is afraid to touch.

Every full-service project runs on one designer, one defined process, and a flat fee quoted before anything begins. If you are starting a project in Westchester or Connecticut, the contact form is the place to begin. Tell me where the house is, what you are hoping to do, and roughly when.