Lismore House: A Grand Manor Reimagined in Greenwich, CT
What Our Client Wanted - Like so many home improvement projects, this one started out with a simple request, but quickly grew into a comprehensive redecoration of a grand manor home in Greenwich. “My contractor was working with the family and when they asked him to build custom bookcases in the family room, he passed the design assignment on to me,” says Mimi. “They loved the bookcases I designed so much, they asked for another pair in the breakfast room. Then the clients said, ‘while we are at it, let’s change the color in the family room,’ which led to discussions about color schemes and how colors in the adjoining rooms needed to work together. And it kept snowballing from there.”
The clients didn’t have a specific design style in mind, but they wanted a fresh look that would feel sophisticated yet comfortable enough to accommodate their grandchildren and frequent guests. “The husband didn’t want the house to be ‘so done’ you didn’t want to sit down—it had to be a house to be lived in,” Mimi explains. She encouraged them to gather images of rooms and details they were drawn to, which helped shape a direction that felt both layered and livable.
On the main floor, heavy 1980s curtains with swags and tassels were replaced with elegant drapes, valances, and shades that allowed natural light to filter in, giving the rooms a lighter, airier feeling. Much of the original furniture had good bones and was reupholstered, while accessories and collectibles were edited so the remaining pieces could truly stand out. “At first, family and friends thought the owners had bought all new things,” Mimi laughs. “They didn’t recognize the furniture with the new upholstery and asked where the couple had bought the mirror over the fireplace. It had always been there—it was just lost among all the collections.”
This was the first fully traditional home Mimi and her team had worked on, and when she suggested introducing a few modern lighting fixtures, the wife loved the idea while her husband was skeptical. “He called one a ‘Star Wars’ fixture at first,” Mimi recalls, “but changed his mind when he saw how well they worked in the rooms. Breaking up a thoroughly traditional home with something unexpected makes the whole look much more dynamic.” The formerly unremarkable powder room became a dramatic focal point as well. When the idea of painting it a deep aubergine was first proposed, the husband walked away—but once it was finished, it became his favorite room in the house.
The work extended beyond the main living areas to the primary suite, where a more restrained approach was intentionally taken. The clients were eager to reuse as much of their existing furniture as possible and preferred not to undertake any construction in the bathroom. In the bedroom, Mimi repurposed their pieces and introduced a few carefully chosen accents to gently refresh the space without losing its sense of familiarity. A new canopy over the bed brought a feeling of intimacy and softness, giving the room a more layered, welcoming character. In the primary bathroom, rather than altering the existing stonework, the focus shifted to surface updates: a classic wallpaper in a deep chocolate brown was added to complement the finishes already in place, and new mirrors and wall sconces were installed to give the room a more current, refined presence.
Looking back, Mimi believes the success of the project came from the trust the clients placed in the process. “We took the lead, talked through the options, and made decisions together,” she says. “They were open to ideas like the modern chandeliers and the ‘wow’ color in the powder room, and in the end they loved everything we suggested.” With the main living areas and primary suite complete, she’s already looking ahead to the next phase of work upstairs.
