How Lucy Harris is rewriting modernist design through memory, material and mood

Although Harris does not think of herself as a ‘colourful designer,’ her work utilises colour with a high level of precision and intentionality. “Colour doesn’t lead my design, but it can create moments and moods,” she mused. Her home in the Usonia neighbourhood of Westchester County, Massachusetts, bears witness to each season’s most vibrant offerings, creating unforgettable colour palettes throughout the year. 

A key element that Harris thinks homeowners should consider is the role of lighting in the room. Many people are looking for a warm, cosy environment, so Harris invites them to consider warm-toned lighting that frames the perimeter of the space. Table or floor lamps and wall sconces can transform the room into a glowing cocoon, especially if they use materials like parchment or washi paper. 

This can even be translated to larger pieces in the room, like headboards or rugs. Harris then moves onto smaller items like a table lamp or chair before zooming out onto the wall paints or wallpapers. Taking the room apart into a puzzle makes the process feel less intimidating and more encouraging, creating a sense of harmony throughout each element. 

“Don’t forget pieces that are not as bold,” she reminded, calling these items the ‘jeans’ of the space. For her, a more neutral shade or natural material like wood can help the room feel ultimately balanced. As for clients who want to lean fully into subtle hues, Harris applies a unique interplay of textures. “They can bring a quiet mood with less noise than colour,” she said. 

A recent project that exemplifies Harris’s design philosophy is a Brooklyn townhouse, designed for a young couple who love to cook and entertain. The space is anchored by autumnal hues and organic shapes, with soft-edged spaces perfect for gatherings, big or small. Some of the most notable pieces in the space are a custom, moss-hued banquette paired with layered rugs and sculptural objects, which create an atmosphere of relaxation after a long day. Natural light, spilling in through the rooftop and sliding glass doors, creates a sense of openness. 

The bedrooms are a masterclass in materiality, with timeless wooden furniture juxtaposed with playful bedspreads, curtains and artworks in vivid hues of blue and green. These earthy tones reflect the homeowners’ love of the outdoors: they often go hiking and enjoy nurturing the plants in their home, a habit they hope to pass on to their child. Elsewhere in the space, materials like marble, ceramic and glass add textural contrast, turning the home into a whimsical oasis. 

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Another project that reflects Harris’s mastery of colour is at a pied-à-terre above the High Line in New York City, which takes on moodier jewel tones to reflect the bustling city’s sights and sounds. The homeowners were looking for a mixture of comfortable and cutting-edge pieces, as evidenced by the 280 Sofa in Teddy mohair and a custom Monarch bench in the living room. These furniture selections form inviting zones of their own, whether the home is enlivened by a party or encourages the homeowners to wind down after a long day.

Not shying away from bold wallpapers, the deep blue flowers lining the bedroom wall work with the rattan bedframe to create a tropical getaway, grounded by the olive and scarlet tones of the bedspread. Meanwhile, the study area features a hypnotic, gemlike pattern in a verdant shade, bringing an unexpected sense of the botanical into the contemplative area. “We wanted to create a home that felt both soothing and stimulating at the same time,” shared Harris. 

Among her many sources of design ideas, Harris pinpoints the modernist movement, with specific nods to Bauhaus and Scandinavian design. The emphasis on functionality, through handcrafted pieces of wood, glass and metal, creates an atmosphere of material honesty and sets the stage for a slower pace of living. 

With these ornamentations stripped away, Harris still injects her own spirit through the creation of an ‘impossible bouquet’ of pieces from different historical design eras and styles. Harris aligns herself with Le Corbusier’s philosophy of a home being a ‘machine for living.’ After all, one’s personality is not developed overnight; it takes time to ripen an appreciation for the different pieces of art, media, and memory that make one’s life colourful. In the same way, she believes that the truthful bones of a home take patience and flexibility to coax out of hiding. 

For homeowners who are unsure where to start, Harris encourages them to lean into their gut instincts. “Mix things you love,” she urged. “Scale and proportion are important, but a nice mix of materials and shapes can look great. Buy the best-quality furniture, rugs and lighting you can afford and hold on to it.” There are pieces in Harris’s home that no longer reflect her current style, but her practicality wins in the end. “Since they’re of good quality and well-designed, I can incorporate them into my house in a way that brings surprise, even to me,” she shared. 

Working with the parameters of what one already owns, breathing new life into them instead of discarding them, is a resourceful attitude that connects her to generations of prominent female designers. Her great-grandmother, Margaret Homer Nichols Shurcliff, was a descendant of the colonial-era furniture-maker and engraver Thomas Johnson. In 1899, Shurcliff studied woodworking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before starting her own woodworking business. She also taught woodcarving to underprivileged women in Boston, alongside her fight for women’s suffrage and workers’ rights. Shurcliff was also known for rallying against the death penalty and was part of the founding of the Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU.

Harris’s grandmother, Sarah Parsons Shurcliff Ingelfinger, was at the heart of Harris’s earliest memories. Creative projects from drawing and painting to woodcarving were done under the watchful eye of Ingelfinger, herself an interior and furniture designer who worked at Heywood Wakefield furniture during the Great Depression.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Harris’s own mother, Lisa Ingelfinger Harris, has been a lifelong creative. With her hand-dyed and woven fabric, ceramics, and music, Harris describes her childhood as a happy one. “She gave me space to create, make mistakes, and figure it out. I am sure I am a creative entrepreneur because of her,” she enthused. 

As Harris navigates motherhood, she is instilling within her daughter the same sense of wonder about the world around her. “I want her [my daughter] to grow up with a sense of freedom to create, like the one I had,” shared Harris. “This is how we build resilient people who can find their own meaning.” Harris’s home is now strewn with rocks, sticks, leaves and what her daughter calls ‘jewels,’ broken glass found in the stream of her forest school. This ability to “get her hands and the house dirty” echoes the imaginative play and artistic creation that define much of Harris’s design sensibilities. 

Beyond her professional projects, Harris expresses great enthusiasm for the upcoming restoration of a family property. An English-style barn, built in 1790 in New Hampshire, has been in her family for the past five generations. The sprawling 65 acres of woods and meadows provide ample inspiration for the designer, who continues to take inspiration from local flora and fauna. 

The home is populated with handmade furniture, from wooden skis and snowshoes nodding to the family’s adventurous spirit. Interestingly enough, the space had even been used as an artist’s studio by Harris’s great-aunt Rose Nichols, who was a prominent landscape designer at the turn of the century. Harris expresses her appreciation towards her cousin for passing the torch onto her, firm in her belief that “It is up to me and my family to continue this tradition, using it for creative exploration and time spent together with multiple generations of my family.” 

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