New York-based interior designer Josh Greene shares the 6 design features that make a home exceptional from his Upper East Side apartment. From commissioning custom rugs to sourcing vintage lighting and applying bold wall coverings, Greene’s 6 design features that make a home exceptional are unified by thoughtful design notes and a timeless aesthetic.
Greene believes a dynamic home begins with custom floor coverings. “There’s an unspoken rule in the design world that you start with the rug and then build from there,” he says. His one-bedroom apartment features several custom rugs, including two from his own collection with Marc Phillips and another by Beni Rugs. He emphasises the importance of scale, noting that if a rug is too small or too large, it can throw off the balance of a space.
Lighting is another of his 6 design features that make a home exceptional. He advises against relying solely on recessed ceiling lights, advocating instead for unique pieces of varying styles and eras, from vintage scones to artisanal table lamps. He employed this layered approach to interior styling at his own apartment with a ceramic lamp by New York-based artist Carlos Otero and a unique, Japanese-inspired piece sourced from Chairish. No matter the fixture, Greene insists that every light should be on a dimmer for optimal ambience from dawn to dusk.
Greene’s 6 design features that make a home exceptional span architectural design and dream home features, including a well-considered mantelpiece. He suggests treating it like a piece of furniture, ensuring it harmonises with the rest of the room and acts as an anchor. Whether it’s Italianate or French, in limestone or marble, he believes the mantel should never be overlooked or overdecorated.
Wall coverings are another way to inject character. Greene encourages bold wall coverings in transitional spaces like hallways, pairing texture and pattern strategically to avoid visual overload. Similarly, he champions custom upholstery and unique textiles as an important one of the 6 design features that make a home exceptional. For example, his sofa and king-sized bed are upholstered in bold, luxurious fabrics, including a Jim Thompson textile and a repurposed vintage Japanese flag. “Fabric is a way to make everything feel customised and luxurious,” he says.
In the kitchen, two of Greene’s 6 design features that make a home exceptional emerge, with a coloured oven and a melange of natural stones. His Lacanche oven in a soft taupe hue brings personality without detracting from the overall palette, and unexpected stone combinations, including jade-toned benchtops and multi-coloured mosaic floors, set this space apart. “There are so many beautiful stones out there and you shouldn’t be afraid to use all the different varieties [and] combine them.”
Greene is well versed in the intricacies of luxury interiors and elevated living. And though he’s uniquely placed as an interior designer to offer design expert tips and educate on the 6 design features that make a home exceptional, his parting advice to “do something wild” helps to assuage even the most stubborn creative blocks.
This series is brought to you by Fisher & Paykel.
00:00 – Introduction to 6 Design Features That Make a Home Exceptional
00:22 – Experiment with Stone
01:22 – The Right Fireplace
02:22 – Custom Rugs
03:39 – Elevated Lighting
05:08 – Bespoke Upholstery
06:12 – Bold Wall Coverings
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Photography by Tim Lenz, Yoshihiro Makino, Eric Piasecki, Shade Degges and Joshua McHugh.
Interior design by Josh Greene Design.
Styling by Mieke ten Have.
Filmed and edited by O&Co. Homes.
Manhattan, New York, United States
The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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