A Cozy Cottage Defined By Collected, Eclectic Style

Today, we’re in New Canaan, Connecticut, at the cottage of designer and author Sophie von Oertzen Williamson. Built in 1981, this home is Sophie’s playground for her signature philosophy—one she explores in her book, The Art of the Clash: A Manifesto Against Mundane Design. It’s bold, layered, and completely unapologetic.

Having lived everywhere from Germany to Singapore, Sophie brings a distinctly global eye to her interiors—mixing saturated color, punchy pattern, and pieces that don’t necessarily “match,” but somehow work all the better because of it. There’s a thread of classic English comfort running through it all, balanced by a sense of warmth and hospitality rooted in her German upbringing. It’s a home that feels collected rather than decorated—full of personality, confident, and packed with things she genuinely loves.

Watch Sophie’s full episode ad-free and see the guest quarters of her beautiful home