The Exclusive Details Behind Jonathan and Zooey’s Maximalist NYC Home
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When Jonathan and Zooey first toured their New York City apartment, it was anything but love at first sight. “I’ve always had the ability to walk into a space and imagine what it could be instantly,” Jonathan says. “But we had our work cut out for us with this place.” Popcorn ceilings; stark white walls; zero personality—that’s not the description you’d expect to hear for Jonathan and Zooey’s dream apartment. But through the weathered walls and crooked layout, they saw a vision of what the space could be. And it was going to have to be a full-scale renovation unlike any other.
“The most important thing for Zooey and me is that a space tells a story, and truly represents its owners,” Jonathan says. “We don’t like boring. We wanted everything from the custom furniture to the wallpaper to the lighting fixtures to feel exquisite.”
Sure, they basically had to start from scratch crafting their perfectly detailed maximalist interior from top to bottom: restructuring the layout; adding in elaborate millwork and custom plaster molding; curating a design scheme that balanced an array of texture, color, pattern, form, and sheen; and an endless laundry list of other to-dos in order to make it into the home of their dreams. But they knew they could turn this blank slate into something truly remarkable. And the challenge was half the fun.
So today, Jonathan is taking us on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour, walking us through his style secrets and the backstory on all the work that went into renovating their remarkable New York City duplex. You can watch the full video above to get the scoop on everything you want to know, and explore more of the stories behind the design below.
Designing Over a Blank Slate
Transforming the early 1900s turn-of-the-century apartment into the ornate, maximalist family home they wanted it to be was no easy feat. Especially considering the unit itself was more like a dull 1980s office space than a beautiful Victorian or early Craftsman. Jonathan and Zooey wanted to infuse historic character back into the space and recreate the Old World charm that had been lost along the way. With soaring 15-foot ceilings and large-scale windows with natural light typically unheard of in New York City, they knew they wanted to make the home something extraordinary.
While the couple was renovating their Los Angeles home, the Park House, they wanted the 1930s Georgian revival to feel like a true bonding of their style and an homage to the original architect, Gerard Colcord. It was their first home together, and it’s a spectacular display of their taste. “LA was a real learning experience for us. It’s the first place we renovated together as a couple, and we learned a lot,” Jonathan says. But in their NYC apartment, they wanted to go bolder; be more daring in their design. Elaborate pattern mixing. Hand-drawn murals. Ornate embroidered wallpaper. “We wanted to push the boundaries of what we did in our Los Angeles home, and include even more handcrafted elements, vintage pieces, and artisanal touches,” Jonathan says.
Finding the Right Co-Designer
The Manhattan duplex is a testament to Jonathan and Zooey’s unique taste and their commitment to family—a celebration of their relationship and the special parts of it that make it their own. But to pull off a project of this scale while living on the opposite coast, they needed someone local who they could trust to manage critical components when they weren’t there. They found the perfect partner in renowned designer Young Huh. “I spoke with Young and we instantly hit it off,” Jonathan says. “Her attention to detail and her love for elegant, traditional design was exactly what we were looking for.”
Young understood their vision completely. “They wanted to incorporate a sense of history and beautiful decoration and the top request was that there be nothing modern,” she says. “Both of them love color and are fearless in exploring pattern and creativity.”
Together, Jonathan and Zooey collaborated with Young and spent nearly five years crafting their artisanal New York City pied-à-terre. But all that time and hard work was more than well worth it. “Collaborating with them was a complete joy. There was so much good creative energy flowing between us,” Young says.
It’s All In the Details
Lively patterns, romantic lighting, moody colors—every element mattered to Jonathan and Zooey. “Here, we decided that all of the fabrics would tell a story—all of the patterns and prints would really grab you when you walked in,” Jonathan says. “And so you’ll see that here—every decision and every room has something to say.”
“They have an incredibly keen eye for design and style,” Young says. “And no one, absolutely no one has Jonathan’s eagle eye for detail. He can detect if something is off an eighth of an inch with just his eye! That was pretty awe-inspiring.”
That “eagle eye” made all the difference, as each room now has its own sense of emotion and story. “When you walk into the entry you are surrounded by joy,” Young says. “The kitchen, living room, and dining room express conviviality and verve. There is a good deal of romance in the outdoor terraces, and their books, art, and decorative objects have a lot of meaning.”
But the handcrafted detail doesn’t stop at the interior. Their three private terraces each have markedly distinct designs, from the kids’ playful elephant topiary to the beautiful latticework in their French-inspired garden outside the living room. They wanted to hint to Los Angeles here, and make the exterior areas of the apartment feel just as lush as the interior.
Traditional Design, Modern Upgrades
Jonathan and Zooey knew they wanted to go with a more intricate, traditional design when it came to their style choices, but they also wanted to incorporate modern-day upgrades when it came to functional items in the house. Combining the two took some creative thinking, but they were able to work with Young to find pieces that hit everything they wanted, both stylistically and functionally.
Take the kitchen, for example. Jonathan and Zooey knew they wanted upscale and high-quality appliances from retailers like JennAir, but found a way to seamlessly blend them into the design with cabinetry. And the oven resembles an antique artisan fixture—between the patina on the copper detailing on the range and hood to the striking matte black finish—for the perfect combination of function and form.
But it’s not just the kitchen that gets the fun and functional treatment. Their entertaining spaces also blend their family’s favorite activities with thoughtful design. There are automatic projector screens that descend from the living room ceilings for cozy movie nights without a bulky TV set disrupting the aesthetic. A custom karaoke setup is hidden in a beautiful cabinet, but remains easy to pull out at every dinner party or night in with the kids. And the standout piece is a beautiful grand piano that Zooey can record songs on for Jonathan to hear back later.
“I love Zooey’s music, and coming home to hear her playing. Having a player piano where she can record songs that I can listen to while she’s away makes that even easier,” Jonathan says. “Some of my favorite She & Him songs for her to play are ‘I Thought I Saw Your Face Today’, ‘Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?’ and ‘I Could’ve Been Your Girl’.”
There’s also plenty of sleek hidden tech that helps keep their home operating at all levels while they’re away. “I made sure to incorporate some helpful technologies we love about our LA house into our NYC place, like smart panels and AI-driven leak detection with auto-shut off,” Jonathan says. “Going back and forth between our homes on either coast, we don’t want to be susceptible to any kind of damage while we’re gone, so I can remotely monitor everything from our security to our energy and water use. And the nice thing is it’s all hidden away, so you wouldn’t even notice the tech is there.”
Lighting Takes Effect
Jonathan, Zooey, and Young all champion the effect lighting has on a space (especially with Zooey’s father being a distinguished cinematographer). They took their time combing through antique stores, furniture markets, and lighting designers like Visual Comfort & Co. to find the perfect fixtures for the space—like the stunning Murano glass chandelier in the dining room, the floral ironwork pendant in the foyer, or the beautiful vine clad sconces in the family room.
“Lighting is incredibly important. We knew that we wanted to have some really grand statement fixtures,” he says. “But with the smaller footprint of the apartment, we wanted to ensure that it still felt balanced, and there weren’t too many fixtures clashing with one another. To prevent that, we mixed things up—so you’ll see pendants, chandeliers, and sconces all playing their part to make it a more interesting lighting design.”
Home Sweet Home
Today, Jonathan and Zooey finally have that perfect home base that’s as unique and exciting as the city itself. They put their all into turning the apartment into a place that felt like them: bold, colorful, romantic, and interesting.
“We don’t like a boring, modern space,” Jonathan says. “I love it when somebody says to me, ‘I have never seen something like that before.’ That is music to my ears.”
Achieving the vision they originally set out for was not easy—but through patience, planning, and creativity, they were able to curate a metropolitan haven unlike any other.
Bonus: Maximalist Design Tips from Young
Maximalist design can be so rewarding—but making a variety of colors, patterns, and finishes all marry together to look intentional and curated can feel like a tall order, especially if you don’t know where to begin. “Start by picking your favorite colors, fabrics, and finishes, and put them together on a table,” Young says. “Do they all look good together and do they make you feel excited? Try to imagine how those items will look in the room.”
Creating mood boards and comparing fabric samples, wallpaper squares, and paint chips are all great ways to get the creative juices flowing—but ultimately, curating a maximalist design in your own home comes down to creating a space that feels authentically you. There’s no formula for your unique personality, so go with what makes your space feel like yours. “You just have to love all the things you choose together,” Young says.
Bree Pulver O'Hagan
Bree is the Senior Digital Editor at DrewandJonathan.com. In the past, she’s worked for publications focused on home improvement and sustainable living. Bree’s Pinterest board is filled with cozy textures; vintage patterns; sculptural furniture; and moody, warm-toned colors. She has a degree concentrated in the intersection of writing and architecture, which influences her passion for exploring creative solutions to unusual home layouts and stylish renter-friendly decor. She’s a self-proclaimed pro at finding the best antique furniture in the most unlikely of places (but her cat Blue can certainly back these claims).
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