As the founder and lead designer of Haute Home Studio in New York City, Sandi Harris Pleeter draws upon more than two decades of professional experience in design, product development, and construction to help clients create refined, artful living spaces. Her background includes leadership roles in the home textiles industry and volunteer service at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she has gained deep insight into how art and spatial design interact. Through her work, Sandi Pleeter bridges the worlds of fashion, architecture, and art curation, demonstrating how museum-inspired principles can transform residential interiors into expressive environments that tell personal stories.
How Museum Art Inspires Home Interiors
Museums have different visual stories consisting of textures, forms, narratives, and color palettes that can inspire how you design your home. Some museums curate centuries of interior design, providing insight into ornamentation, thematic decor, and period furniture. When you visit a museum and experience how they curate the art and objects, you get to experience the importance of light on surfaces, how object scales interact with each other, how color relationships might affect mood, and how the space is organized. You can bring all of these cues and lessons into your house.
Two of the most prominent features of museum art are texture and color. Many museums make use of wallcoverings, tapestries, and textiles as core elements of texture. You can decide to inculcate some of these textures into your home in the form of wallpaper, drapes, and upholstery. Also, color palettes from historic design exhibitions or art movements might inform the design scheme for your home.
Most art in museums tells stories, usually of an era, culture, personal journey, or craft. Adopting museum-inspired art in your home helps you tap into these stories and integrate them into your environment. For instance, if you are drawn to Japanese pottery, medieval ornamentation, or modern abstract works, you should understand that each material has narrative threads about philosophy, material, and craft. Museums have historically been a source of design inspiration because they show how art and objects usually reflect human experience. Adopting these same principles in your space makes it feel personal, full of character, and timeless.
When you visit the museum, you should take note of what captures your attention. Pay attention to how lighting improves the artwork, how texture contributes to creating depth, and how different colors interact. All of these details can inform your home design choices in very subtle but vocal ways. To implement, you can start with small sculptures that are indicative of what you love, or framed prints. Museums often use directional lighting or spotlights to facilitate texture and detail. To implement this in your home, you can opt for a floor lamp, track lighting, or picture lights.
When you draw inspiration from museums, focus on creating a balance that reflects your personality and taste. Just as museums showcase classical and modern works together to create depth and harmony, you can blend different styles and textures in your home. Pair modern furniture with vintage pieces, or mix soft neutral tones with rich, bold colors to create visual interest. The goal is not to copy a museum but to design a space that feels curated and personal. Choose artwork, furniture, and accessories that tell your story and complement your lifestyle, allowing your home to feel authentic and expressive rather than overly styled.
Museum-inspired interiors offer more than visual beauty; they teach valuable lessons in composition, color, and storytelling. By observing how museums use light, texture, and scale, you can adapt these techniques to shape the atmosphere of your own rooms. Experiment with lighting to highlight special features or artworks, and let your emotional connection to certain pieces guide your design decisions. When you approach decorating with curiosity and intention, your home becomes more than a living space; it transforms into a reflection of your experiences, creativity, and appreciation for art.
About Sandi Pleeter
Sandi Harris Pleeter is a New York City-based interior designer and the founder of Haute Home Studio. With over 20 years of experience spanning design, fashion, and construction, she has collaborated with architects, contractors, and clients to deliver distinctive residential and commercial spaces. In addition to her design work, she volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and serves on her co-op board, contributing her expertise in both creative and strategic settings.
