{"id":120743,"date":"2025-10-14T05:17:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T05:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/120743\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T05:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T05:17:17","slug":"joy-moylers-25-acre-upstate-new-york-estate-gets-an-ambitious-renovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/120743\/","title":{"rendered":"Joy Moyler’s 25-Acre Upstate New York Estate Gets an Ambitious Renovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

Above: In the main house\u2019s salon, a portrait of Ray Charles by Norman Seeff hangs above an heirloom Steinway piano. Pendants from 2Modern; rugs by Patterson Flynn; walls in Simply White by Benjamin Moore.
<\/p>\n

Joy Moyler is what her name suggests: upbeat, warm, and radiating positivity. With her sunny disposition and natural charisma, the Elle Decor A-List interior designer holds her own among Hollywood\u2019s elite, having designed homes for Leonardo DiCaprio, John Mayer, and Adrien Brody.<\/p>\n

When a new client brought her a daunting challenge\u2014a 25-acre estate in upstate New York that featured a 1790 Federal residence and a 19th-century barn by the legendary Gilded Age architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White\u2014Moyler didn\u2019t miss a beat. \u201cI squealed when I saw it!\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

\"joyKelly Marshall<\/p>\n

The exterior of the circa 1790 main house. The estate\u2019s landscape design is by Starr Whitehouse.<\/p>\n

Almost immediately the client threw in a twist: Connecticut architect Ralph Mackin would add a modern structure next to the property\u2019s pool. Not just a cabana, an entire house. Moyler was asked to decorate that building, as well. \u201cIt was exciting,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Taking on projects of this scale demands confidence, and Moyler has plenty of it. Having gotten her bachelor\u2019s degree in architecture, she cut her teeth at some of New York\u2019s top firms, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; the office of Thierry Despont; and the studio of the late, oft-referenced designer John Saladino. She also worked in the interiors departments at Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani before launching her own firm in 2012. Since then her portfolio has ranged from a villa in Portofino to a resort in Boca Raton. It was her Armani clients who urged her to go independent. \u201cI was scared to death,\u201d says Moyler, who is based in New Rochelle. \u201cI\u2019d always been a company girl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI could be incredibly happy in any one of those five kitchens.\u201d \u2014Joy Moyler<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This project was commissioned by a Connecticut-based homeowner who envisioned a rugged retreat surrounded by nature where he and his family and friends could relax, entertain, and be together. \u201cThe brief was to create a gathering place,\u201d Moyler says.<\/p>\n

\"joyKelly Marshall<\/p>\n

The McKim, Mead & White barn was turned into a party space. <\/p>\n

She gave each structure a distinct identity. The Federal home brims with antiques and cozy elegance. The poolhouse is a chic wellness retreat with a flotation tank and a sauna. And the barn is built for large gatherings, surrounded by ponds, orchards, and gardens. The client added enough recreational amenities for a luxury summer camp. There is the swimming pool, and also tennis courts (plural), a putting green, a bocce court, a dirt bike track, and even a pumpkin launcher for autumn fun.<\/p>\n

Dining was a priority too. Moyler created five bespoke kitchens: a period sage-green one in the main house, minimalist indoor and outdoor kitchens in the poolhouse, and two utilitarian yet stylish setups in the barn, including one for catering large events. \u201cI could be incredibly happy in any one of those five kitchens,\u201d Moyler says.<\/p>\n

\"aOpen Gallery\"\"<\/p>\n

Inside the so-called \u201cparty barn,\u201d Moyler\u2019s transformations include two guest apartments, a lounge with vintage Pierre Chapo seating, a terrace with garden views, a bar and stage for the client\u2019s musician friends, and a huge screen for watching football.<\/p>\n

Personal touches were incorporated throughout. Antique automotive tools made by the client\u2019s grandfather and great-grandfather adorn the mudroom, mounted as if they were in a museum. An heirloom Steinway piano from the wife\u2019s family anchors the salon. The palettes reflect the owner\u2019s favorite color\u2014green\u2014and spaces throughout cater to enjoyment and relaxation. \u201cJoy is highly perceptive,\u201d the client says. \u201cI think it\u2019s her superstrength.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Moyler the key to unlocking a project at this scale was to treat it like a resort without ever losing sight of the real person behind it. \u201cIt needed to have everything and be fully functional,\u201d she says, \u201cbut still be a home.\u201d \u25fe<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the October 2025 issue of <\/strong>Elle Decor<\/strong>. <\/strong>SUBSCRIBE<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"3 min read Above: In the main house\u2019s salon, a portrait of Ray Charles by Norman Seeff hangs…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":120744,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,1926,73632,366,13195,18,117,19,17,590,73631],"class_list":{"0":"post-120743","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-artsdesign","12":"tag-content-type-feature","13":"tag-contentid-064d2d54-407b-4bdb-b60b-407db5d8c3bf","14":"tag-design","15":"tag-displaytype-long-form-article","16":"tag-eire","17":"tag-entertainment","18":"tag-ie","19":"tag-ireland","20":"tag-locale-us","21":"tag-shorttitle-an-upstate-new-york-estate-gets-a-renovation"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}