Taylor Swift embraces the modern rustic trend in one of her favorite recording locations – The Long Pond Studios

The isolated recording studio in New York's Hudson Valley is an unexpected source of on-trend decorating inspiration, brought to light by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift
(Image credit: Neilson Barnard via Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

There's no disputing – Taylor Swift is the name on everyone’s lips. With the drop of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, the music megastar has reached an untouchable level of stardom. However, despite her unrivaled glamor on stage, Swift’s interior design tastes remain as grounded as ever.

This is best embodied in the design at one of her favorite recording locations, the Hudson-Valley-based Long Pond Studios. The beautiful studio, owned by Swift’s long-time collaborator Arron Dessner of The National, follows a modern rustic design style. It serves as the backdrop for Swift’s documentary, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. In the film, which Swift released on Disney+ in 2020, she documents the artistic process of recording her eighth studio album alongside her producers Dessner and Jack Antonoff.

In addition to being the site of musical history, the Long Pond Studios are also an architectural wonder. Built by Erlend Neuman, the A-Frame barn conversion was created with creativity in mind. Their site describes the structure as, ‘an exacting combination of performance control and spatial cohesion.’ In addition to state-of-the-art acoustics and recording equipment, the building is deeply connected to the natural surroundings of the pond ecosystem and biodiversity in the NY forest.

If Taylor’s Folklore album was a space, it would be the Long Pond Studios. The barn is ultra-cozy, stylish, and warmly rustic. Experts say the feeling in the space is in large part due to the strong use of wood. Jennifer Ebert, color expert and digital editor at Homes & Gardens, states: ‘The wood ceiling, wood walls, and large windows flooding the space with light give the studio a grounding feeling that is perfect for preparing for creative expression.’

‘The blue and gray furniture matches perfectly with the rustic color scheme in the music room,' Ebert adds. 

'The cool palette gives the natural wood a more contemporary feel, contributing to the rustic modern design scheme in the studio. In addition to the large windows, this detail makes the space feel much more bright and airy than a typical rustic scheme.’

The modern rustic scheme is one of the biggest interior design trends of 2024. In Taylor Swift’s favorite recording space, it shines brighter than ever.


Shop the modern-rustic edit

Though the trend translates beautifully to the Long Pond Studios, it is just as perfect in a domestic setting, whether we live deep in the Hudson Valley or not. Tapping into the look is possible with the right accessories, starting with these hand-picked goods below. Of course, they look great when paired with our home's architectural assets (where possible), but are just as impactful in a more modern space.

Sophie Edwards
News Editor

Sophie is a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens, where she works on the Celebrity Style team. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly excited when researching trends or interior history. Sophie is an avid pop culture fan. As an H&G editor, she has interviewed the likes of Martha Stewart, Hilary Duff, and the casts of Queer Eye and Selling Sunset. Before joining Future Publishing, Sophie worked as the Head of Content and Communications at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens and furniture brand. She has also written features on exciting developments in the design world for Westport Magazine. Sophie has an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.