Eileen Kathryn Boyd

Huntington, New York–based designer Eileen Kathryn Boyd is one of the design stars of the New York area—and that’s saying a lot. She has written that among the places she looks for inspiration is the world of fashion, which perhaps indicates why color plays such an important role in her design work.

Lighting Design Options

Lighting, an essential element in a home’s design, can present challenges in a tight area with no side tables or console. Wall-mounted swing-arm lamps are a great solution. They provide soft ambient light to an otherwise dim corner—no table needed.

Decorate with Groupings

Individually any one of these gilt mirrors lends itself to a more formal setting. But displayed en masse the pieces become a unique collection that serves as an interesting wall sculpture with a whimsical, informal effect. Consider a grouping of small like objects of varying shapes for a powerful statement.

Decorative Wood Flooring

Think outside the area rug. For a less predictable flooring solution, create a bold geometric pattern in the wood floor itself. The geometric grid complements this room's gorgeous proportions and traditional bones. But it can serve equally well for any design sensibility, modern or traditional. It’s too pretty to cover with a carpet.

Layer Your Designs

Create a one-of-a-kind functional furnishing by fitting a Parsons table over an ottoman for an extra design layer. This hybrid offers the versatility of function and style. It is also a beautiful study in contrasts: dark and light, soft and hard.

Bring Fen Shui to the Bath

Plant good feng shui by placing an indoor garden of succulents in the corner of a sun-filled shower space. The layering of stone and greenery makes a notoriously hard room feel supple and alive.

Add Dressmaker Details to Draperies

Channeling the fashion runways, details on draperies add a dressmaker’s touch to an otherwise ordinary panel. Edge a curtain panel vertically with a fabric of a contrasting color or texture. The effect is distinct but not overpowering.

Create an Easy-Does-It Color Palette

Work with the dark beams and light walls of your home to create a study of black and white, then punctuate it with bold color accents for richness. Make sure the dark notes are dotted throughout the room on fabrics and finishes for balance and visual comfort.

Make a Fashion Statement on Your Window Treatments

Transform a clothing detail into drapery couture. The buttons on the leading edge of this panel suggest a cufflink clasping the ruffle much as it would on a blouse.

Build an Energetic Palette with Art

Underscore your most dramatic artworks by continuing their color story on the windows, area rug, and furnishings. The inspired pizzazz of this colorful space began with the art. The textiles continue the bold, vibrant brushstrokes for a supremely confident style.

Arrange Art En Masse

Create high decorative impact by grouping arrangements of inexpensive art. Not everyone can curate a collection of fine art for their home. En masse arrangements in identical frames are an alternative worth exploring. The oversized mattes in colorful frames used here showcase simple geometrics in a grand way.

Define the Bones of Your Home

Stretch a dark-color grosgrain ribbon underneath a light-painted crown molding to give the molding a shout-out. In a room with tall ceilings, the ribbon outline breaks up the expanse of pale wall, helping the lower portion of the room to feel less weighted and better balanced.

Use Neutrals to Balance Bright Colors

Balance your palette’s primary colors with plenty of neutrals. When you decorate with saturated primary colors like the yellow and blue shown here, create relief for the eye with heavy use of a neutral color in-between. This prevents the palette from being too potent.