6 Cozy Design Lessons from a Transformed NYC Townhouse

The brilliant thing about decorator show houses is that they’re packed with ideas for you to reimagine in your own home. Unlike your next-door neighbor’s house, where every room might carry a thread of familiarity through it, a show house is bursting with different styles from one room to the next because a different interior designer oversees each room.

Such was the case at this year’s annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York, where 21 pros transformed a townhouse in the city's storied Greenwich Village. Here are the top six ideas we’re swooning over.

1. English Style

Turns out, traditional English-style decorating feels cozy no matter where the room is, be it a country retreat or an urban townhouse like this one. The key is to layer furniture from different periods, soft dusty colors, pleated lampshades, and absolutely no foam fillers—only slouchy seat cushions filled with down for a relaxed look. 

“Layering in contemporary and midcentury pieces creates depth and a sense of evolution over time,” explains London-based interior designer Amanda Flood of Ben Pentreath Studio (which advises on projects for King Charles III). “Our goal was to create a space that reflects those we design for our clients: welcoming, livable, individual, and full of character,” she says of the living room.

2. Trick of the Eye

The walls in designer Alessandra Branca’s drawing room are not actually wood paneled and layered with art—they’re covered with a faux painted wallpaper. The technique, known as trompe-l’oeil in French, uses optical illusions to add a sense of texture to the wall. 

You can also add warmth to an elongated space by visually breaking it up. Branca delineated two zones—a lounge and study—with furniture placement and curtain panels hung from the ceiling. She also installed molding directly on the ceiling, in a formation that echoes the footprint of the walls. This subtly adds dimension to what would have been a large expanse of flat, white space. 

3. Taking Risks

Why play it safe when you can have fun instead? Interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins took inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There when transforming this dining room from a basic box into a fantastical space for entertaining. 

The designer’s recipe for success: mixing modern and traditional elements in bold, unexpected ways. Cue ornate molding painted vibrant sherbet green; contemporary photography atop traditional chinoiserie wallpaper; a geometric ceiling wallpaper giving disco ball vibes to a crystal chandelier; and, of course, a wildly oversized pedestal and urn for dramatic effect. The result feels enveloping day or night.

4. Embracing Alternate Materials

Designer James Huniford of Huniford Design Studio eschewed traditional paint and wallpaper in favor of eco-friendly cork on the walls and ceiling, even wrapping the flush-mount ceiling light. It’s a material that is trending thanks to its natural beauty and sustainability. Layers of blues and greens in the carpet and artwork, along with Trevor King’s ceramic Funky Stump chair, add to the room's warm and tactile, organic vibe.

5. The Power of Color

Color’s ability to transform is on full display in this bedroom by interior designer Eve Robinson, where deep blues and bleached oak tones carve out sleep and lounge areas. “The separation of color emphasizes the different functions of both spaces,” she says, noting the combo promotes rest and relaxation. It’s a palette that also works well in nature—think sea and sand—which is always a trusty guide to follow. 

When using a rich tone like navy blue, consider Venetian plaster like Robinson did. The sueded finish changes with the light and softens dark walls. She then matched the color on the archway trim with Benjamin Moore Evening Dove, and repeated the hue in the lounge area through artwork and the banquette fabric. Blonde wood tones also repeat throughout—repetition is another decorator's trick for creating harmony and a restful atmosphere.

6. Art in the Kitchen

This galley kitchen might look too pristine to cook in, but there's something welcoming about displaying art in a kitchen. Designer Leyden Lewis' vision can easily be translated to the hub of your own house by keeping countertops clutter-free and leaning framed art along the wall, below upper cabinets, instead.

If you have white cabinets with black granite, try framed black-and-white photography. Have stained wood cabinets with marble countertops? Look to the accent colors in an adjoining room or to the views outside for artwork color cues.