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.
Within its 200-year-old Colonial bones, Nicole was juggling two seemingly opposite agendas: parties and playdates. For every flourish of revelry-proofing (the silver-topped bar is both literally and figuratively the heart of the home), there had to be room for sticky PB&Js alongside extra-dry gin martinis.
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.’
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.
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.’
‘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.
‘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.’
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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.’
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.
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.
