See How This Westchester Designer Brightened up Her Living Spaces

Donna Dotan | Courtesy Ariel Okin

Local transplant and interior designer Ariel Okin shows how she revamped her family home with unique window treatments from The Shade Store.

After nearly two years spending more time at home, we’ve all put some thought into redesigning our living spaces to be more beautiful and homey. Professional interior designers are no exception.

“I grew up outside of Philadelphia, on the Main Line,” says newly-minted Westchesterite Ariel Okin of online home and design destination Fenimore Lane. “My husband grew up in Westchester and his family lives out here still; we moved five minutes away from my in-laws during the pandemic, and I’m so glad we did! Westchester is such a great community, especially for young families. We really love it out here!”

Curious to see how a professional freshens up her own home in Westchester County? It starts with a “hero fabric” and spreads out with a little help from The Shade Store (locations in Bronxville, Port Chester, Scarsdale, and nearby Greenwich).

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ariel okin living room - shade store windows

What was your inspiration for your new living spaces? What issues were you having with your existing space that you wanted to solve?

We are a young family, so it was always important that our home be practical and work for the way we live (with a toddler and a dog!) while still feeling beautiful and reflective of my personal design aesthetic. It was really fun to flex my creative muscle as my own client! The house overall needed a refresh. It was around fifteen years old when we bought it and very beige — it needed new life breathed into it. It was exciting to be able to play around with colors and patterns and experiment with combinations.

What was your design process like for each room? 

I typically start by choosing a “hero fabric” — a pattern or print that anchors the rest of the room — and then work the rest of the space around that. The windows fell into place naturally, and I love working with The Shade Store and their beautiful showrooms in Westchester and Greenwich to make each space sing.

Ariel Orkin
Courtesy Ariel Okin

How do we choose the right window treatments for our own homes?

Window treatments are the jewelry of a room. No space is finished without them, and they add the final touch that make a room feel bespoke and luxurious. I love layering outside-mounted woven wood romans (The Shade Store’s new Artisan Weaves collection is a personal favorite) to make the windows feel larger and taller, and layering those with drapery panels on either side. I like to mount drapery hardware just under the crown molding to make ceilings feel extra tall. (It draws the eye up!)


Read More: This Rye Brook Renovation Led to a Picture-Perfect Family Home

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