Creating A Home Sanctuary: Expert Tips from Kate Cummings of Freestyle Restyle

Home is our sanctuary, and this month we honor that idea by showcasing our talented local interior designers. They possess the skill to transform a home into a haven, a peaceful retreat where we can all find safety and solace from the outside world. We are delighted to be back in conversation with interior designer Kate Cummings of Freestyle Restyle. Kate’s eclectic, fearless approach to design and re-design has led to collaborative, creative projects in both residential and commercial sectors, working with architects, fabricators and builders to create spaces that invoke the unique spirit and personality of each client.

Kate updates us on how her business has evolved over the last year and shares thoughts and tips on creating a home as a sanctuary, her latest creative project. In our exclusive interview, find out what’s inspiring Kate now and for the year ahead, as well as some favorite must-visit local businesses offering items to create your very own space that you love to come home to.

INSIDE+OUT: It’s so great to reconnect again! How has your design business evolved since our conversation a year ago?

Kate Cummings: Hi, and thank you! The last year has been full of return clients, continued word-of-mouth referrals, and a couple of newcomers from the Inside & Out profile and Designer round-up. All wonderful clients and fun projects – I’m lucky and grateful. I’ve also added two team members – one for administration and another for design. They are both fantastic additions, and I’m excited to have even more capacity with their support.

Can you share tips for designing a home as a sanctuary? A space for self-care, safety, and comfort, away from today’s distractions. A place you love coming home to.

The first thing is to understand what it means for the client, as we all rest and recharge in our own ways. In order, I’m interested in function, color palette, texture, pattern, and lighting in the design program. Functionally, what pastimes or activities do you need the space to accommodate? Is it for large groups, small groups, or a little of both? What colors make you feel relaxed – are they dark, rich colors that create a cocoon, or light and airy colors that expand? Are you a minimalist or a maximalist when it comes to pattern, texture and layering? Regarding lighting, all rooms are best with a combination of functional and ambient lighting options at various heights to round out the feeling of warmth and inviting nature of space both day and night.

On top of that and what is often emotionally powerful, is studying what pieces the client may already have that can fit into the design or be altered. There is something about the continuity of familiar pieces that adds to that sense of comfort and refuge for each of us. In the end, all of these elements lead to a specific feeling, not just a look, and ultimately, the “home as sanctuary” formula will be expressed differently for every individual, couple, or family because it’s so personal.

Speaking of “Your Home as a Sanctuary,” tell us about your latest project and what made this assignment so special for you.

These clients, whom I am happy to now call friends, were very specific with some prerequisites for the design, and it was an interesting assignment. Starting from the ground up, they had a clear color palette in mind – light Scandinavian, natural, matte wood, pale blues, grays, and white, of course. The palette is cool and refreshing in summer and quietly restful in winter. We were asked to incorporate classic mid-century furniture pieces and profiles with contemporary Murano glass lighting and terrazzo tile for their love of Venice. My favorite request of theirs, as I live the same way, was that all sofas and lounge pieces had to be “nappable.” To me, good design is approachable and honest about how you live, and I appreciate that in addition to being consummate and generous hosts who also know how to take it easy and enjoy doing so.

I am also a fan of flexible, multi-functional rooms, and this project excels in that arena. We have a dining space with an open-style butler’s pantry, including a concealed dishwasher so the clients can keep all of their barware, dishware, silverware, glassware, and table linens in the space, which is a small trek to the kitchen in the older part of the house. The Living Room space includes a sleeper sofa and custom daybed with storage for bed linens, so the room could conceivably sleep three to four guests. Also, a reading/listening chair that is socked into a lovely corner window in the summer and moves to a spot next to the fireplace in winter. Additionally, two moveable side tables that have tops that lift off and function like extra seating when needed, and a small desk space with lighting built into a bookshelf, where one can work on a laptop. Both spaces open fully to the outdoors and the space doubles in size for large indoor-outdoor entertaining. Last, walk through the small powder room and exit right to a private outdoor shower that is a pure delight for at least six months of the year. This project is most certainly a sanctuary for the couple, their family and all of their friends, and I’m delighted to have been a part of creating it.

What is your sacred space, favorite room, or sanctuary room in your home and why?

My bedroom is my favorite place and certainly my sanctuary. If I could operate from bed 24 hours a day, I probably would! Not to suggest that I’m lazy; I just really like feeling cozy in a big bed with fluffy pillows and comforters, my dear hubby and sweet dog at my side. I’m surrounded by piles of books, art on the walls from all parts of my life, a big shaggy rug, a reading/phone chair, an altar for meditation and views of the woods from all windows. It’s simple and it’s perfect.

Have you found any new Hudson Valley shops or places for decorating one’s home that our readers should know about?

Everyone should know about Ball & Claw in Port Ewen – it’s a multi-dealer antique shop and a great spot to grab a coffee, pastry, or cocktail in the garden. Red Owl in Kingston is a lot of fun. It is also a multi-dealer shop and feels more like a classic flea market. Kingston Social/Pinkwater Gallery has nice homewares pieces, wonderful art openings, and excellent design books, as does Newt. It’s not necessarily “new,” but don’t miss MVN Design for well-priced designer furniture and accent pieces, pillows, original art, and beautiful ceramics.

Reflecting back on your business in 2024, what worked well for you, and what might you have done differently?

Overall, it was a very positive year. In addition to Upstate projects, I went back and forth to Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Connecticut quite often, and there was a nice range of project styles and scopes; I thrive with creative diversity.  If I’m honest, however, there was one bomb of a project this year (it’s rare for me, but it can happen), and if I were to do it over again, I would have vetted the client more thoroughly. I tend to give the benefit of the doubt quickly, and in this case, it did not serve me well. However, the experience was valuable in that it led to important growth and changes in how I structure my process both creatively and financially. As is standard in the business, I now charge a larger upfront deposit to begin a large-scale project. That investment gives my clients a sense of structure in the process and brings in a higher level of discipline to the phases that are required for a project to go well. I now keep well in mind that I am interviewing prospective clients as much as they are interviewing me. Respect and professionalism go both ways.

What is inspiring you creatively now and for 2025?

Diana Vreeland said, and I wholeheartedly agree, “The Eye has to Travel.” I’m starting 2025 with a trip to the Paris Deco Off and Maison et Objet shows. In the fall, I’m planning a lifelong bucket list trip to Morocco. It’s plans like these that make me wish I had a shop so I could buy every gorgeous little thing, but I will also be happy to take visual inventory and record all the colors, textures, patinas and shapes to be seen and used in some new, upcoming projects. It’s also a good reason to ramp up my photography and collage again.

What are you excited about for this new year, both personally and professionally?

I am currently working on two large renovation projects that could not be more different from one another, and I’m really looking forward to how they evolve. One is a mid-century time capsule – think Atomic Ranch with a casual California vibe.  The other is an expansive family farmhouse that will host a large multigenerational family. It’s exciting to think about creating a special place for lasting memories now and in the future. In addition to that, I’m continuing to update a 1980s modern, along with a handful of smaller, ongoing decorative projects. All require intense collaboration with the new team and skilled trades in the area, which is always rewarding. After so many years working solo, I love the creative give and take of team projects.

On a personal level, it’s a banner year at age 50, and the theme is “Use it or lose it.” So more hiking, more yoga, more music, more art, more reading, more exploring, more curiosity, more laughing, more loving.

If you could manifest anything for yourself and/or your business in 2025, what would it be?

Great question and thanks for asking. First, I would manifest a highly skilled local builder as a business partner. I am lucky enough to have a consistent flow of work, and it would be incredible not to reinvent the wheel for every project. I would be able to take on more projects sooner and get through them faster with a dedicated team. I am also interested in more hospitality projects and affordable housing in our area – they actually go hand in hand. Let’s renovate some bungalow colonies!

Photos by Kyle Caldwell @kylejcaldwell  + Styling by Gina Ciotti @ginaciotti_

Connect with Kate Cummings + Freestyle Restyle | Website | Facebook | Instagram | INSIDE+OUT Spotlight

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