Liana Hayles Newton

Design enthusiast ... Frenchie lover.
Best Bargain Buys: 10 Stylish Lamps Under $100
It comes as no surprise that the phrase “lighting is everything” is commonly heard in the world of interior design. No matter how lovely a home is, how stylish or well arranged a living room, if the lighting leaves something to be desired, all that charm can quickly lose its luster. During daylight hours a lamp serves as an accessory to a room much in the way jewelry is to an outfit, but when night falls and the lamps turn on, we rely on them to create ambiance.
Jun 9, 2020
Michelle’s Sweet and Eclectic Studio
Name: Michelle Konar Location: Upper West Side — Manhattan, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rent As a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Michelle learned to hone her creativity. As a graduate she has taken those skills and applied them to her work in advertising, as well as in her home. Unafraid to take on a project, she is always looking for ways to improve her space.
Mar 10, 2020
Lex, Lynn and Lucy’s Downtown Modern Family Home
Name: Lex, Lynn and LucyLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: About 800 square feet including terraceYears lived in: 4.5 years — ownWhen Lex and Lynn moved into their one bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan, the view of the New York skyline took center stage. Their style was minimalistic — graphic black and white were favored over color for a look of grown up chic. But enter their daughter Lucy, and everything shifted.
Mar 10, 2020
Phil and Annette’s Prospect Park Home
Name: Annette and Phil Englander Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 22 years; Owned Husband and wife duo Phil and Annette share a Brooklyn home that beautifully displays their collective creative skills. Phil, a cabinet maker, has thoughtfully constructed custom built pieces that add to what makes the home unique. Annette, an artist as well, paints using a technique for adding color to silk.
Dec 19, 2019
Ross’s Greenwich Village Home
Name: Ross Weiner Location: Greenwich Village, New York, New York Size: 700 Square Feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned With a love of the arts and a strong sense of style, Ross went about turning a bare studio apartment into a one bedroom home with charm to spare.
Dec 19, 2019
Fashionable People: Dria’s West Coast Meets East Coast Style
A West Coast transplant to the East Coast, Dria Murphy, meshes her laid back California style with city ready silhouettes and adds a dose of pure personality and love of style to create a look all her own. As a style and PR consultant, she gets to spend her days surrounded by her love of fashion – and as can be seen in her house tour – of interior design as well. Your very favorite outfit A great pair of skinny denim with some pumps and a leather jacket.
May 4, 2019
Fashionable People: Saadia’s Casual Glam Style
Saadia isn’t afraid of color. She is one of those women who wear it often and wear it well. Knowing how to mix different styles, different styles and colors to create a look that is all her own, is polished and yet effortless. Much like her home, which can be seen in her house tour, we see how she mixes and matches, choosing pieces she loves and making it all work together.
May 4, 2019
Christeleny’s Elegant and Eclectic Upper East Side Home
Name: Christeleny Berner Location: Upper East Side; NYC, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Christeleny’s love for design and style has resulted in a seriously gorgeous apartment. The home did not come together without hard work, though; the apartment went through significant renovations which took years to finish. Once renovations were complete, Christeleny set to furnishing her home using her strong eye for design and her patience, which was challenging at times.
Dec 5, 2015
A Tiny, Light-Filled West Village Apartment
Name: Sam Location: West Village; New York City Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 Year; Rented Keeping her home clear of clutter and displaying only the things she loves gives Sam’s 300-square-foot home in the West Village a spacious feel. Meanwhile, light from the many windows, pops of color, and the warm, neutral tones of her decor go a long way towards making it feel welcoming, comfortable, and soothing.
Nov 21, 2015
Ross and Patrick’s Beach-Inspired City Home
Name: Ross Garner and Pat Hicks Location: Upper East Side — New York City, NY Size: 700 Square Feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented This carefully curated home reflects the love of a traditional, nautical style that Ross and Pat share. Making an effort to co-design their apartment helped them find a balance that resulted in a lovely and inviting home. Ross: We are always at the water and I think that it’s really apparent in our style.
Nov 13, 2015
Fanis’ Scandinavian Modern Studio
Name: Fanis Location: Financial District; NYC Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1 year An appreciation for clean, minimal Scandinavian design and a sophisticated color palette make for a charming and cohesive home with a stunning view over the Financial District in New York City. Fanis’ home is bright and cheerful without being overbearing or overly bold in color. The space feels clean, modern, and is filled with charming details.
Aug 16, 2015
Fashionable People: Angie’s Elegant Style
Seattle native Angie Mar may spend most of her time creating mouth-watering dishes as the executive chef of the Beatrice Inn, but when she’s not in her kitchen uniform, her style is anything but… She explains: “My style at home and in my closet is very similar to my style in the kitchen: a mix of masculine and feminine elements.
Aug 8, 2015
Chef Angie Mar’s Balanced Mix
Name: Angie Mar Location: Upper West Side; NYC Size: 975 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Angie Mar is the executive chef at The Beatrice Inn and a visit to her home, just as a meal enjoyed at the West Village restaurant, brings on feelings of warmth and a healthy dose of joie de vivre.
Jul 9, 2015
Dria’s Fashion-Inspired West Village Abode
Name: Dria Murphy Location: West Village, NYC Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented With 450 square feet to work with, space is most definitely at a premium. Alexandra Murphy, a style and pr consultant, has used her sharp eye for design and editing to give her space direction, giving it a stylized appearance while remaining true to her personality. This careful attention to detail and lack of clutter gives the home an open feel, that exceeds beyond its square footage.
Jun 25, 2015
Kay’s Colorful Downtown Studio
Name: Kay Rozynski Location: Lower East Side, NYC Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: Under 1 year; Rent Location is everything, and Kay’s location is the bustling Lower East Side of Manhattan, home to some of the world’s best places to eat, drink, and be entertained.
Jun 13, 2015
Saadia, Kip & Betsy’s Brooklyn Base
Name: Kip & Saadia McConville Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 sq ft Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rent Saadia and her husband Kip (not pictured) love to travel, whether it’s within the United States or internationally. They have a love of adventure and trying new things that is infectious. A look through their apartment demonstrates this through decor picked up along the way.
May 23, 2015
Jessica’s West Village Life
Name: Jessica Bowers – founder of West Village Life Location: West Village, NYC Size: 1 Bedroom/1 Bath Years lived in: Under 1 year; Rent Nestled on a charming street in the West Village, lives Jessica, founder and author of the popular Instagram @WestVillageLife, an account that shares the many charms of this historic neighborhood with its nearly 30K followers. It’s no surprise that her eye for detail and style extends into her personal space as well as her photography.
Apr 28, 2015
Mark & Levi’s Home Among Modern Mementos
Name: Mark, Levi, + Theo Location: Upper East Side; New York City Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Mark and Levi both share a love for beautiful things. With Mark working for Artsy, an online destination for the art world, and Levi for the luxury American jewelry brand David Webb, they both spend their days surrounded by beauty. Stepping into their Upper East Side home, their creative perspective is evident as is the harmony with which they decorate their space.
Apr 11, 2015
Katie & Matt’s Washington Heights Home
Name: Katie and Matt with their cats, Fritz & Pepper Location: Washington Heights, New York City Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Katie 2.5 years, Matt 6 years; Rented When Katie moved into her two bedroom home in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, she had her work cut out for her. At the time it was occupied by her fiancé and two roommates—the living room doing double duty as common space and as a bedroom.
Aug 17, 2014
Irma’s Art-Filled Downtown Manhattan Loft
Name: Irma Zandl and Brad Kahlhamer Location: Lower East Side, Manhattan; New York, New York Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 20 years; Owned Light, open and airy, Irma’s Manhattan loft feels like an oasis in the heart of downtown. Upon entering, it is immediately clear that the art that fills this home has all been chosen with a strong eye for talent and a great love of the work. To spend time in this gorgeous space is at once calming and inspiring.
May 23, 2014
Style on a Budget: 10 Sources for Good, Cheap Furniture
When shopping for furniture on a budget, local re-sale shops and garage sales may be excellent places to start, but if you don’t find what you are looking for and need some additional options, these 10 places are good sources for finding affordable furniture. TOP ROW: Pier 1Simon X Coffee TableIKEATobias ChairCB2Knitted Graphite PoufBlu DotScamp TableWest ElmGlass Jar Pendant BOTTOM ROW: World MarketCecilia Metal Swivel Chair TargetMudhut Rope Textured Table LampOverstock.
May 21, 2014
Jackie’s Stylish Upper East Side Studio
Name: Jacqueline Clair Location: Upper East Side, New York City Size: Approximately 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented If you take a peek at New York City blogger Jacqueline Clair’s Instagram account you’ll see plenty of images that are well-composed, colorful, chic, and fun. The same could be said of her Upper East Side studio. Her taste reads clean and polished, with touches of whimsy and romanticism.
Apr 2, 2014
Mimi’s Bright and Welcoming Brooklyn Home
Name: Mimi Shim Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Mimi shares this colorful, light-filled Brooklyn apartment with her husband and two cats. The space manages to feel comfortable and welcoming and yet chic and well edited. The lack of clutter and well designed living space are a testament to this couple’s attention to detail, and the results are nothing short of charming.
Mar 2, 2014
Beautiful & Functional Objects: MoMA Design Store Spring Preview
At the Spring 2014 preview for the MoMA Design Store, a plethora of new, soon to be released, well designed, attractive and yet oh so functional objects were on display. Above: coated aluminum plates with eyecatching art work set a unique and edgy table for use indoors and out. A classic Josef Albers desk gets a makeover with the addition of a cheerful pop of color.
Jan 21, 2014
The Charming Brooklyn Studio of Antoni from “Queer Eye”
Name: Joey Krietemeyer, Art Director at 1stdibs.com, Antoni, and one very well loved Fiddle Leaf Fig Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Size: 600 square foot studio Years lived in: 3 years; renting Walking into Joey and Antoni’s studio apartment is not like walking into other studios in New York. They have managed to create a home that feels open and spacious, but still has distinctly separate living areas. Details abound that catch the eye without cluttering up the space.
Nov 4, 2013
Greg’s Dashing Uptown Home
Name: Location: Size: Years lived in: High above the busy city streets, Greg’s home feels like an oasis — serene, comfortable, masculine, and filled with personality. It is clear that all of the pieces that occupy the space are chosen with love and attention. As an interior designer, Greg Schriefer has an exquisite eye — one that finds just the right balance between perfection and coziness. His space is well curated, but also most definitely a home.
Oct 28, 2013
Aimee, Rene and Max’s Sweet and Sophisticated Family Home
Name: Aimee, Rene and Max Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1100 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Aimee and her husband, Rene, recently readjusted their Park Slope home to accommodate baby Max, the newest addition to the family. Rene’s a chef and Aimee works as an Account Analyst in Apparel Production, so putting together a beautiful, warm home with plenty of style came naturally to this creative couple.
May 7, 2013
Joan & Matt’s Joyously Eclectic Home
Name: Joan Hiller and Matt LeMay Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 1 for Joan, 2 for Matt; Rented We first met Joan when she was living in this stylish studio in Portland, so we already knew about her phenomenal sense of individuality and style. Knowing this, it’s not surprising that upon moving to New York, she would meet and fall in love with someone whose creative energy parallels her own.
Mar 29, 2013
Johanna and Mike’s Bright Brooklyn Home
Name: Johanna Lane & Mike Harvkey Location: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York Size: 440 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Own Having previously lived in an apartment about the same size as the home that writers Johanna and Mike share, I am acutely aware of how challenging it is to make a space that lacks in square footage feel spacious. That’s why I was so impressed by how comfortable and roomy their home feels.
Mar 22, 2013
DIY Idea: Hand Painted Tea Towels
Perhaps its because I have Paris on the brain lately (or maybe those rice crispy treats in the making were calling to me) but I was very drawn to this tea towel on design blog Creature Comforts’ Instagram. I must not have been the only one, because they recently revealed it as a DIY.Ez explains: Sometime last year, on a whim I decided to see what it would look like to paint text onto a tea towel…or if it would even work at all.
Mar 8, 2013
How To Confidently Choose Paint Colors: Mark’s Foolproof Methods
Last February, I invited past House Tour participant Mark Wynsma over to socialize, share some macarons, meet my Frenchie and discuss design. His home is fantastic with his brave DIYs, his eclectic style, and of course his bold and (very) successful use of color. Many of my friends have mentioned his tour to me as their inspiration for painting their homes in bold hues, and now that I am looking to paint my home (currently all white), I naturally asked him for his thoughts.
Feb 26, 2013
Mark’s Delightful (and Delicious!) West Village Home
Name: Mark Wynsma Location: West Village — Manhattan, New York Size: 475 square feet Years lived in: 2 years — rent Bright, colorful and filled to the brim with charm, Mark has transformed a standard run of the mill white walled rental into a vibrant home. From first glance into the entry way, it is clear that the home has been thoughtfully put together and showcases a love for design – and for color!
Jul 2, 2012
Pros & Cons: Dark Grout in the Bathroom
When choosing tiles for the bathroom, shape, color and texture decisions factor in immediately, but one aspect that can strongly impact the final look is often a mere afterthought. Choosing the right grout color can make all the difference, so it’s worth thinking about when planning the overall look of your bathroom.Using a light colored grout, particularly in conjunction with white tiles, can produce a bright, clean look, but it is a very high maintenance choice.
May 15, 2012
5 Tips for Keeping Cut Branches Fresh
One of the lovely things about spring is the opportunity to use gorgeous, fragrant branches as decor in the home. Here are five tips to help keep yours fresh as long as possible, because spring is already too short as it is.1 Make an inch long slit in the bottom of each branch and then tap the ends of the branches with a hammer. This allows water to be absorbed more easily and will extend the life of your branches.
May 8, 2012
Free DIY Plans: Simple Plywood Farm Style Table & Bench
Perfect for Spring, or anytime, this wooden table and bench designed by Marjan Verboeket, graduate of the Design Academy in Eindhoven, can be yours. That’s because the designer turned this piece into an easy DIY and shared the instructions with Dutch design site 101 Woonideeen.Using wood, nails, a hammer and glue, this cheerful table and bench can be made in just six steps. The bench is simple, it’s more an element than a piece of furniture. They are like Lego blocks.
Apr 12, 2012
The Vide Poche: An Organization Must Have
Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. In my home, that difference has been keeping a vide poche near the front door.French for empty pockets, the vide poche is simply a small bowl or container kept in a convenient location to empty your pockets into when you walk through the door.
Feb 29, 2012