Inside a 200-Year-Old Colonial Family Home Reimagined Through a Vision of 'Beautiful Chaos' – It's the Ultimate Party-and-Playdate Escape
With a stylist’s eye and a fearless hand for pattern, Nicole Fisher gives this historic restoration both reverence and a reason to celebrate
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Twice a week
Homes&Gardens
The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.
Once a week
In The Loop from Next In Design
Members of the Next in Design Circle will receive In the Loop, our weekly email filled with trade news, names to know and spotlight moments. Together we’re building a brighter design future.
Twice a week
Cucina
Whether you’re passionate about hosting exquisite dinners, experimenting with culinary trends, or perfecting your kitchen's design with timeless elegance and innovative functionality, this newsletter is here to inspire
If you can style an eye-catching fashion editorial, chances are you can dress one hell of a home. That’s certainly true for interior designer Nicole Fisher, whose fashion-insider past is evident in every eclectic wallpaper choice, antique score, and perfectly skirted chair inside her Hudson Valley family residence.
Though New York City sits just 90 minutes away – close enough to justify hosting the occasional wave of overstimulated cosmopolitans – the house design is, at its core, a small-town family abode. And an old one at that.
She rose to the challenge by honoring the house’s historic character while injecting it with texture, pattern, and a dose of maximalist verve – matching the energetic valence of a young family without overwhelming the historic shell.
‘Beautiful Chaos,’ she calls it – a tightrope between order and freedom, history and instinct. ‘There’s a lot for the eye to discover, and I believe that kind of richness reflects a life fully lived and a house truly enjoyed.’
‘Wallpaper is one of my favorite tools in design because it does so many things at once. It adds texture, emotion, and a sense of artistry that paint alone simply can’t achieve,’ says Nicole. ‘I’m drawn to papers that feel immersive, almost like stepping into another world, and I think of them as characters that help define the personality of each space.’
In classic center-hall Colonial fashion, you’re first welcomed into the foyer – a whimsical, floral-filled slice of heaven adorned with antique candle sconces that look plucked from a fairytale, affixed to walls wrapped in classic chinoiserie wallpaper from Gucci, naturally.
From there, the palette echoes into two distinct worlds on either side: parlor and living room. Just across the hall, they converse – open yet intimate, preserving the historic flow Nicole was keen to honor. Sit in one, and you’re always aware of the other. ‘The parlor is layered and cozy, while the living room has a slightly grander scale, perfect for gathering,’ she notes.
For Nicole, furniture operates within the larger narrative. 'Some pieces are meant to solve a problem, and others are meant to tell a story.'
The crystal chandelier and sliding library ladder might lend the parlor a stately air – but stuffy, it is not. ‘In the mornings, it’s my quiet corner with a cup of coffee and my laptop when I’m working from home,’ she says. ‘In the evenings, it becomes a place to unwind by the fire with a book. On slow Sundays, it’s often where my son curls up with me.’
Pattern is practically its own protagonist throughout the house, but nowhere more than in this joyful pink-and-red-striped room. A mix of Round Top-acquired antiques, florals, and offbeat artwork sets a sweet, slightly subversive tone for whatever surprises might follow.
‘During our holiday party, for example, we had drinks in the parlor, hors d’oeuvres in the dining room, and a jazz band set up in the living room. Guests moved organically from space to space, and the house supported that rhythm without effort. That balance, between quiet moments and joyful gatherings, is exactly how the home is meant to be used. It adapts to the people in it, not the other way around.’
Vintage pieces make the soul of this 1830s home feel newly awake. 'I use them when I want depth, character, and something you simply won’t see anywhere else,' explains Nicole. 'I’ve always loved the hunt.'
‘I’ve always believed that more can be more, when it’s done with intention,’ Nicole adds. ‘Pattern, for me, isn’t about visual clutter; it’s about storytelling.’ Similar to styling a great outfit, she began with a single hero piece – here, this was obviously the stripes – and let everything radiate outward.
‘It was the very first selection I made for the house,’ Nicole explains. ‘It felt distinctly English, slightly unexpected, and deeply cozy, which set the tone for the entire room.’ From there came mixed-scale prints, bolder pillows, and that careful interplay of formality and play – the purest expression of her playdate-meets-party ethos.
Nicole responded to the lush Hudson Valley backdrop with a palette pulled straight from the landscape. 'I’ve always loved bringing the outside in, and here the setting is undeniably bucolic, rolling hills, dense greens, and a sense of quiet that feels timeless. Green naturally became the foundation of the palette; it functions as my neutral, much the way white might in another home.'
‘In the living room, the approach shifted slightly,’ she says. ‘It’s a large space, and I knew it could comfortably hold bold color and pattern without feeling overwhelming.’ If the storyteller in the parlor was the wallpaper, here it’s the furnishings.
‘The daybed became the jumping-off point – its richly layered fabric introduced a palette of corals, yellows, and greens that allowed everything else to fall into place naturally.’
A 200-year-old house doesn’t always cooperate with off-the-shelf solutions. At times, custom work became essential.
Just off the parlor sits the eat-in kitchen – designed for everyday bites and easy conversation. Original fireplaces, wide-plank floors, and millwork were non-negotiable (Nicole refused to lose even an inch), but the 1830s-era kitchen itself required a careful refresh.
Rather than reconfigure it entirely, she preserved the original footprint – quirks intact. ‘Of course, not everything survived two centuries, so where replacements were necessary, we were careful to honor the spirit of what had been there rather than introduce anything too precious or contrived.’
An enviable La Cornue range with gleaming brass finishes anchors the room. It’s mouthwatering to look at, but also boils water in under 60 seconds – critical when a hungry, growing boy wants pasta, and they want it now.
'There’s something deeply satisfying about finding a piece with history and then giving it a new chapter – whether that’s through custom upholstery, updated hardware, or reimagining how it’s used in the space,' Nicole notes.
In the dining area, a whimsical cluster of orb lights floats above an antique, ornately carved table. A fur pelt softens the practical tile floors. Books stack. Baskets hang. Nicole never wanted this space – or anywhere in this house – to match, after all, but rather feel as if it ‘has been shaped by generations rather than a single moment in time.’
Greens anchor the home’s more adventurous moments, tethering every 'oh la la' back to the landscape beyond its windows.
Image credit: Nicole Fisher Interiors
A petite powder room with outsized star power delivers the ultimate design flex.
Image credit: Nicole Fisher Interiors
Slip past the kitchen and through the orange-grove wallpapered mudroom – trimmed in green and anchored by a plush loveseat for shoe swaps – and you’ll find a Studio 54-rivaling mirrored powder room cleverly concealing the laundry.
And then, paradise.
'Because the architecture and setting already carry such a strong sense of tradition, it felt important that the exterior and its relationship to the landscape remain classic and grounded,' says Nicole. 'That continuity allowed the interior to take on a bolder, more expressive role.'
A pool. Lounge chairs. Multiple zones for spritzes, grilling, and long lunches that blur into dinner. It was designed for summer living – with room for grass-stained little feet darting past and adults overstaying their welcome, gazing out at the canopy of green and quietly wondering why they, too, haven’t yet made the move to Hudson.
There's no taking the fashion out of this family home. Skirted flounces abound.
Image credit: Nicole Fisher Interiors
Maximalist sensibilities breed a new kind of comfort.
Image credit: Nicole Fisher Interiors
After a dip in the resort-worthy pool, head upstairs, where three bedrooms, three bathrooms, an office, and a gym await. The latter is rarely the star of any home tour – but here, it steals the scene.
With no shortage of pansies in sight, even a one-two punch reads pretty.
Yes, those are free weights set against florals, coexisting in what might be the most fashion-editorial-caliber pairing in the house.
From the boxing equipment to the sly pop-art rendering of a prizefighter on the walls, the room is ‘elegant and unexpected,’ notes Nicole, ‘and it completely reframes what a functional room can feel like.’ The wallpaper alone injects a level of character most home gyms never dare to attempt. ‘The unexpected beauty makes it a place you actually want to exercise in,’ she quips.
You'll notice that every furniture detail feels storied, not old. Modern additions, like that light fixture, don't hurt, but the balance is pure stylist instinct. 'I source globally and instinctively, traveling often in search of pieces that feel right rather than trendy,' says Nicole.
For all the pattern, punch, and personality pulsating within, this house still reads Colonial at its core. ‘Preservation was non-negotiable,’ Nicole says. ‘With a house of this age, you don’t get to treat history casually. We salvaged and restored everything we possibly could, inside and out, because the original architectural elements are what give the home its authority and presence.’
The lower level is far from adults-only. Alongside the parlor, living room, and dining room, there’s a movie room stocked with toys and art supplies – a corner ‘designed to feel creative, comfortable, and truly his,’ Nicole says of her son's domain.
Every lacquered surface, every stripe, every wink of color is in conversation with those original bones. It’s a home that feels, in her words, ‘respectful but not reverent, a home that honors its history while still feeling alive, expressive, and firmly rooted in the present.’
Ultimately, Nicole’s wish was simple: age five or fifty, no one should feel intimidated here. 'There’s an instant sense of comfort,' she muses.
Confidence is key. From backyard to bar cart, this is a home shaped by someone who doesn’t second-guess her eye.
Playdates and dinner parties. Coffee at dawn, jazz at midnight. A pink-and-red bar in a 200-year-old Colonial. They say you can’t have it both ways – but here, just north of Manhattan, it appears you can.
