AD’s Gift Guides & Shopping Ideas

Some designers consider symmetric beauty and timeless elegance the ethic of interior design. But even as we walk into 2025, a trend is emerging to counter that idea. Entering “delightfully imperfect” design, such a view accommodates eccentric, unusual, and downright unconventional spirits. It’s a celebration of things some regard as ugly, but they confer crudity and authenticity that perfection can never offer. But this provides the opportunity for free creativity and breaking every design rule.

North Creek Farm, with its rolling hills and snow-capped barns set off against the stunning backdrop of the Hudson Valley, is the home of both tranquility and generous life. Bought nearly a decade ago by Dolores Barrett and Edward Klein, this was a surprising find of 56 acres. The couple could have bought their big and indefatigable social lives back in Bridgehampton; they had no intention of relocating when Dolores stumbled upon the ad for the so-called “gentleman’s farm.” Something in the pictures, the grounds, and the house’s very innate elegance drew them into.

“It felt like it was meant to be,” says Dolores of their first visit. This was a property that had once been a Georgian manor from the 19th century, which obviously had the kind of bitter nostalgia about it that was not put on or flaunted. “It had a kind of innate dignity,” she adds, just perfect for their lifestyle of family gatherings with several generations under one roof.

When History and Hollywood Collide: A Star’s Journey in Bringing a Georgian Estate Back to Life