Six Design Features That Make a Home Stand Out with Josh Greene

From his Upper East Side apartment, New York-based interior designer Josh Greene shares personal insights into how to make a home truly stand out. From commissioning custom rugs to sourcing vintage lighting and applying bold wall coverings, Greene’s design philosophy is embedded in spirited and intentional details.

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. “The only way to get it right is to do it custom,” he says.

“There’s an unspoken rule in the design world that you start with the rug and then build from there.”

Lighting is equally as pivotal. Greene 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 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.

A well-considered mantelpiece can serve as a strong focal point, and Greene 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. “Don’t be afraid to change it if it’s not working,” he says.

“Fabric is a way to make everything feel customised and luxurious.”

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. He has explored this notion in his own apartment, using patterned wallpaper in one room with calming plaster walls in another, creating an exciting yet cohesive flow.

Similarly, he champions custom upholstery and unique textiles as an important finishing touch. 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.

Greene is well versed in the intricacies of designing an interior that is personal and brims with thoughtful, design-centric touches.

In the kitchen, Greene suggests taking a risk 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 designing an interior that is personal and brims with thoughtful, design-centric touches. And though he’s uniquely placed as an interior designer to bring these ideas together with cohesion and elegance, 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.

Interior design by Josh Greene Design.