- February 10, 2026
- Jonathan Gordon
Connecticut is unique.
Yes, I said it, and I mean it. There are so many articles that state with absolute certainty that Connecticut is just New York lite, or Massachusetts lite, without any originality in our approach or way of life. But the truth of the matter is that while Connecticut does harbor and present significant influences from all of our neighboring states we really do stand alone in so many ways.
Connecticut food, Connecticut culture, even Connecticut driving are each unique, but I’m here to focus on Connecticut’s interior design, which truly stands alone but not necessarily in the way you may think. The designs of our homes are informed by our architecture, climate, and lifestyle, which can vary widely depending on where in the state you live.
Architecture and Style Across Connecticut Homes
The Connecticut style has been called “quintessential New England”, both in terms of architecture and interior design. I disagree with this—Massachusetts can lay claim to that term, with its shingle-sided Colonial homes and darker historic color palette—it’s heavier and moodier look than Connecticut.
The idealized Connecticut home is usually lighter and brighter than the New England standard, if not a pure white then certainly close to it.
If you happen to live on the Connecticut coastline, the ideal is usually a large white Colonial with a natural cedar shingle roof, and possibly black painted window frames. If you’re further inland, perhaps it’s a grand Queen Anne Victorian home with a rounded turret, painted in a light grey or even a pastel with white accents.
In some communities it’s the Midcentury home with large vaulted ceilings and sunken living rooms. In others it’s the style that’s become known as “Modern Farmhouse” or “Modern Rustic”. There is so much diversity!
Designing for Connecticut’s Climate
The climate in Connecticut is shared with our neighboring states, so the one common thread is that our homes are built for both the heat and the cold, to carry a good amount of snow on our roofs, and almost always with a full height basement.
The shoreline tends to have a slightly warmer winter than the inland communities, but it also has to contend with higher winds and salt in the air from the Long Island Sound.
Lifestyle-Driven Interior Design
As for lifestyle, Connecticut is very family-centric, so our homes and communities tend to reflect a busy and active lifestyle. Our kitchens are used and cooked in, if not daily then still often enough to justify investing in it. Our dens and family rooms are heavily used. Spaces do not exist “just because”, they’re meant to be utilized.
Luxury goes hand in hand with practicality—we do love our nice fixtures and finishes, but we’re not trying to show them off—we just enjoy them and like to live with them.
Custom Solutions for Distinctive Homes
So with all of that diversity, how does one design specifically for Connecticut homes? It’s not a simple answer. In Connecticut there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach.
However, a common thread is that everything tends to be bespoke and custom—not always the individual items, but certainly the design. This doesn’t mean that everything we use is the most expensive on the market, on the contrary, Connecticut homeowners are not interested in spending their money needlessly.
Because Connecticut homes tend to be so unique, it often requires a custom approach. As a designer, I’ve seen almost every type of home that the state has to offer—hundreds of them.
For every shoreline Colonial mansion and every inland jewelbox Victorian there are even more split-level homes in planned communities from the 1950s and 1960s, but even those homes were offered in multiple varieties when they were first built, and it’s rare to find two that are exactly alike.
When you also consider that every homeowner and client has their own likes and dislikes, their own personalities, and their own wants and needs, the need for carefully designed solutions is absolutely vital.
Common Threads in Connecticut Interior Design
Although there is no single approach stylistically, there are some ideas that tend to be the standard in Connecticut. Light and bright wins the day, although some major pops of color or darker elements (or even rooms) are often very much welcome. Our homes are well built to withstand the elements, and that quality also shows up inside to withstand the rigors of active family life. Durability and quality are key.
Elevating What Works
An interesting critique of Connecticut’s design taste is that we tend to be far behind the cutting edge. The “white kitchen” became popular in Connecticut after proliferating through New York years prior. The “modern farmhouse” look was a midwest standard before Connecticut even considered embracing it.
Even the current trend towards bold and saturated colors is late to come to the state, and spaces that can be classified as truly “modern” are few and far between. I stated with confidence before that Connecticut interior design truly stands alone—how can this be?
I don’t take issue with the critique, it’s all true—although I would reframe it slightly. Connecticut is only really interested in a design trend or style once we know that it really works, and works well.
In Connecticut, we want things to last, so we let other regions work through the cutting edge of design, and once we’re convinced that it has staying power, we’ll implement it here and massage it to perfection.
What sets Connecticut apart—our innovation, and why we stand alone—is that we take a design style and elevate it to its highest possible form and format, and then translate it in various ways across a truly diverse scope of homes and people.
Some of the finest homes in the world are here in Connecticut. Not because we innovated with a new style, but because we perfected the style that our clients wanted and implemented it beautifully. That’s the magic, and we’re proud of that!
If you’re looking for a trusted Connecticut interior designer, full-service or otherwise, Design by the Jonathans is here to help. Let’s talk!
