6 min readThere’s a reason most designers will tell you they’re their own worst clients. Education and a thoughtful sense of taste can make one picky, and many often contend with decision fatigue, unable to move their personal projects forward at risk of feeling too much—too excited, too inspired, too in the weeds with client projects.
Whatever the classic trope is, Stephanie Perez O’Boyle does not subscribe to it. In fact, it was her gut instinct—and quick decision-making—that found her and her husband signing on the dotted line for a Westchester County, New York condo mere days before their lives would change.
At first glance, the 1980s two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home was little more than a blank slate, with dated finishes and an awkward layout that would make any pro cringe. But for Perez O’Boyle, owner of Stephanie Perez Studio, it had arrived at precisely the right moment. “We found ourselves scrambling for a solution when I was nine months pregnant,” she says. “We stumbled upon the open house sign while out for a walk and decided to buy it on the spot.”
The timing, while serendipitous, was anything but sublime. After nearly a decade in New York City, Perez O’Boyle and her husband had briefly relocated to Newport, Rhode Island, during the early days of the pandemic. But when work called them back to the city with their first baby on the way, Westchester offered the chance to return closer to family, and the condo, despite its shortcomings, had undeniable promise. “The home was essentially a white box with no architectural character,” she says, “but the wonderful natural light and proximity to the beach hinted at what it could become.”
Just weeks after welcoming their son, they began demo, kicking off what would become a deeply personal, three-year renovation that unfolded alongside the happy chaos of early parenthood. “For months our ‘kitchen’ was a microwave on a folding table,” Perez O’Boyle remembers. “I was washing bottles late at night in my bathroom sink.”
Designing the home while living through construction meant daily site meetings with subcontractors, sketching cabinetry in real time, and hunting for materials with an infant in tow. Perez O’Boyle completely reimagined the home’s footprint, converting the original two bedrooms into three and redistributing square footage to better suit family life. Throughout, custom millwork, paneling, and built-ins—all impeccably crafted by her father-in-law—introduced the architectural character the condo had lacked.
The resulting interior blends coastal Americana with European influences, drawing on memories of Newport and the designer’s travels through England, Spain, Portugal, and her grandmother’s home in Colombia. “Without historic bones dictating the story, we were able to craft the narrative ourselves,” Perez O’Boyle says.
Now, the once-generic condo feels anything but anonymous. It’s a home shaped by sleepless nights, first steps, and countless family dinners gathered around the banquette. “It started as a practical investment and a temporary solution,” Perez O’Boyle says, “but slowly, it took on the patina of something inherited.”
And that, she notes, is the real lesson of the home. “Good design isn’t just about how a room looks,” she adds. “This is a home shaped by circumstance and defined by intention, and it tells our story in a way no other place ever could.”
FAST FACTS
Designer: Stephanie Perez O’Boyle
Stylist: Kimberly Power
Location: Westchester, New York
The Space: A 3-bedroom, 2-and-a-half-bathroom condo across 1,900 square feet
KITCHEN & DINING NOOK
Checkered marble tiles were the most sought-after element of this space.
Once a narrow galley with only open shelving (and barely any countertop space), the kitchen stole square footage from the nearby dining room during the renovation to live lighter, brighter, and more functionally. “Cooking and entertaining are central to our lives, so my goal was to create a cozy, functional heart of the home where we could gather and linger all day,” says Perez O’Boyle.
A custom pine-stained island, built by the designer’s father-in-law, grounds the space and adds ample room for prepping dinner, while green and marble limestone checks—originally sold as field tiles—ground the space in European country charm.
Adjacent to the main cook space, this charming nook takes the place of a traditional dining room, acting as the go-to spot for family meals (and a favorite spot of the dog). A 19th-century English farm table, in its original Robin’s egg blue, sits at the center beneath a display of Perez O’Boyle’s ever-growing basket collection.
LIVING ROOM
A family-friendly layout keeps the room ready for any activity.
To design a room that was “deeply liveable,” Perez O’Boyle focused on pairing multiple seating areas with vintage finds and plenty of room to unwind. “I carved out space for a small game table since we’re really big on board games and puzzles. I won the vintage bamboo table on LiveAuctioneers—there’s nothing like an auction win as an oxytocin boost for an interior designer,” she adds.
SON'S BEDROOM
Vintage touches and a sophisticated palette bridge the gap between childhood and design.
Inspired by the opening sequence of a Winnie the Pooh film, Perez O’Boyle’s son’s bedroom is a tribute to all the things he loves, including dinosaurs, sailboats, baseball, and hockey. “I’ve taken him antiquing with me since he was born, and he has picked out so many incredible pieces himself,” she adds. “Every old baseball mitt, fish figurine, quirky bookend, and trinket is something he proudly pulled off a shelf.”
DAUGHTER’S ROOM
Pops of butter yellow sweeten the scene for the family’s newest addition.
Nostalgia and vintage childhood books, like Junie B. Jones and Amelia Bedelia, inspired the nursery of Perez O’Boyle’s daughter, who was born in 2025 at the tail-end of the renovation. A Bemelmans Bar painting by Danielle Kosann nods to their years living in New York City, while a stitched Grimm’s Fairy Tales light fixture (which the designer calls her “favorite vintage find of all time”) adds charm overhead.
“I think nurseries can trip people up because there’s pressure to choose a theme,” Perez O’Boyle adds. “But these spaces can be just as layered and personal as any other room. Nostalgic elements create the foundation, and then a child’s interests should naturally shape the room over time.”
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Lush drapery creates a warm, enveloping feel.
To usher in serenity and promote relaxation as busy parents of two, Perez O’Boyle took the palette down a notch in the primary bedroom, instead focusing on dynamic neutrals and comforting textures. Stacked drapery panels span the entire back wall, disguising two off-center windows and acting as a symmetrical backdrop. “The room is every bit as intentional as the rest of the house, just quieter,” she adds. “It feels grounded, restorative, and exactly what we need at the end of the day.”
KID’S BATH
A shower nook provides both intimacy and style.
Originally the primary en suite, this layered bathroom received a relocated entrance and a new layout, including placing the vanity in the only available spot—beneath the window. To compensate for the placement without sacrificing style, Perez O’Boyle added a discreet hook to the window casing and hung a lightweight vintage bamboo mirror from it.
“Beneath the playful layers, my kids’ bathroom is actually quite sophisticated,” she adds. “I wanted to create a space they could grow into, so I began with timeless materials like marble, unlacquered brass, beadboard wainscoting, small-scale wallpaper, and a creamy off-white paint to establish a classic foundation.”
POWDER ROOM
The designer created a “jewel box moment” with botanical wallpaper.
To pack a punch in a small space, Perez O’Boyle covered the walls of this petite powder bath in a fern wallpaper from Michael S. Smith’s collection with Hartmann & Forbes. “Its embroidered sisal and subtle windowpane effect added romance and structure,” she explains. “I then carried the green across the millwork for a fully enveloping effect, allowing the small space to feel saturated, before finishing with small works of art we gathered during our years in Newport as a nod to that chapter in our lives.”
About the Designer
Stephanie Perez O’Boyle founded her eponymous design firm in 2021. In 2024, she was named a House Beautiful Next Wave designer, and her work has been featured in both national and international publications. A self-taught interior designer, she is known for creating layered, lived-in homes that reflect a family’s story, travels, and heirlooms.
