The Art of the Home

We had the honor of being one of 20 designers selected for Aspire Design and Home’s The Art of the Home Showhouse Upper Saddle River. Our space, titled The Severance Room, was inspired by the show Severance, which explores the idea of compartmentalizing life.

I kept coming back to one question: what if a room could make you forget the outside world entirely?
That tension between escape and presence guided every decision.

At the entry, two dreamlike photographic pieces offer a subtle hint of what lies beyond the curtain.

The design began with an Arte faux linen wallcovering, installed on the ceiling. Its tropical flora sets the tone immediately. The walls, painted in Sherwin-Williams “Cloak Gray,” wrap the room in a deep, enveloping plum.

A silk rug with a snakeskin motif grounds the space, its scale playing against the bold ceiling above. A textured, steely gray settee faces a video art installation called “Malia” by artist Julian Opie; it is mesmerizing, unexpected, and quietly kinetic. Two Buddhist-inspired works by Gonkar Gyatso anchor the seating area.

In the window, floating shelves hover above a blue Italian console, adding another layer without interrupting the calm.

For me, as an introvert, the Showhouse held added meaning as art has always meant to be a form of connection; it starts conversations without a word. Watching people experience the space has been the most rewarding part. The same piece of art means something entirely different to each person who enters.