Palm Beach Meets Newport: A Fresh Take on Preppy Coastal Design
We’re coming off the heels of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach, and this year’s show did not disappoint. The rooms felt layered, colorful, and full of personality in a way that felt fresh, but also timeless. There was a clear shift away from the more expected coastal palette, and toward something more expressive, more confident, and honestly, more fun. It’s a direction that feels especially relevant right now, and one that translates beautifully beyond Palm Beach.
A Room to Remember
My favorite room was the bungalow bedroom by Colleen Rosar, and I am completely obsessed with it.
At first glance, it feels playful and inviting, but the more time you spend with it, the more you realize just how thoughtfully layered it is. The room is wrapped in texture, with a fringed raffia wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries adding warmth and depth, while powder blue trim crisply outlines the architecture and gives the space structure.
Then there’s the ceiling — a pink patterned moment that completely transforms the room. It draws your eye upward and brings a sense of energy into the room without feeling overdone.
The built-in day bed is tucked into a softly arched niche, creating a natural focal point. Upholstered in a beautiful, large-scale patterned fabric by Christopher Farr Cloth, it brings together the palette of the entire room, soft blues, corals, and neutrals, in a way that feels both lively and cohesive. The surrounding millwork, painted in that same powder blue, frames the moment and keeps it feeling tailored.
What makes the space so successful is the mix. Woven textures, pleated shades, sculptural lighting, layered textiles, and collected accessories all work together without competing. Even the smallest details, like the ceramic wall installation and the rattan furnishings, add personality without tipping into excess.
It’s cheerful and sophisticated at the same time. Polished, but not precious. A room that feels designed, certainly, but also completely livable.
And that balance, to me, is exactly what makes it so memorable.
Photography Credit: Nick Sargent Photography
A Strong First Impression
I also loved the foyer by Justin P. Moreland Interiors, it beautifully captures a preppy coastal aesthetic. It's polished, layered, and full of personality.
The walls take center stage in this room. They are wrapped in a delicate feminine botanical of winding vines and small butterflies, which pairs beautifully with the powder blue ceiling and trim, a detail I clearly can’t get enough of. The furnishings are simple and minimalist -- a white side table, white mirror and an upholstered chair in matching botanical print don't distract from the walls.
Where Colleen Rosar’s bungalow bedroom feels more energized, with brighter hues and a playful mix of color, this space takes a softer, quieter approach. The palette leans more subtle, allowing the pattern and detailing to take the lead without relying on bold contrast, proving that preppy coastal design doesn’t always have to be bold to make an impact.
Photography Credit: Nick Sargent Photography
Bringing the Look Home
The Kips Bay Show House, and many southern coastal homes in general, are a great reminder that design doesn’t have to be bound by playing it safe. Preppy coastal style has always embraced color, pattern, and layering, and it’s what gives these spaces their energy, their personality, and that sense of life that makes them feel so inviting. Bold moments, unexpected details, and a mix of textures all come together in a way that feels confident, not overdone.
At Maloney Interiors, this idea of “Palm Beach meets Newport” is less about location and more about balance. It’s about creating spaces that feel tailored, but still relaxed, polished, but still full of life. What makes this direction so appealing is that it leaves room for individuality. Homes feel less like they’re following a formula, and more like they’ve been put together over time, with a mix of color, pattern, and texture that feels natural, not forced.
Coastal design doesn’t have to be quiet to feel timeless. It can be expressive, confident, and still feel completely at ease. That’s the kind of home we’re always aiming to create.
xo,
Ally
Let’s create something beautiful together!