One of the most potent yet unheralded tools in a designer’s arsenal is restraint. Consider the case of the stately Gothic Revival manse that interior designer Ghislaine Viñas recently reimagined for longtime clients with adventurous tastes in contemporary art and design. Set on nearly 100 acres of rolling hills and spectacular trees in the bucolic village of Tivoli, New York, hard by the Hudson River, the stately 6,500-square-foot house was built in 1850 and fully restored a decade ago by Trimble Architecture , with landscape design by Pamela Burton . “I was flabbergasted by the beauty of the property,” Viñas recalls of her first visit to the site. “The house was meticulously renovated, and the structure was in fine shape, so we had to determine what changes were really necessary.”

Ultimately, Viñas and her clients decided to tread lightly. “At first, we thought about switching the crisp, white paint to something a little softer. But the experience of the house is so much about the majesty of the land, and the white made such a nice foil to the lush vegetation and trees, we just went with it,” the designer explains. She and the homeowners likewise chose to maintain many of the home’s interior appointments, including an array of steel-framed beds, sisal carpets, and oatmeal-colored linen curtains. “Everything was very quiet and simple, perfect for the setting, so we kept it all. Honestly, this house didn’t need a lot,” Viñas adds.

Still, there was work to be done to align the complexion and character of the formidable dwelling with the frolicsome spirit of her clients. For that, Viñas relied on subtle splashes of color—primarily soft greens and blues inspired by the landscape—as well as bold contemporary artworks and modern furnishings alternately cheeky and seductive. Take, for example, the Moooi pig table that greets visitors in the foyer. “It’s such a jolly piece. It immediately puts people at ease and says, ‘Let’s have some fun here,’” the designer notes.

The attic bedroom offered another opportunity for a lighthearted coup de théâtre. Always game for a bit of decorative derring-do, Viñas wrapped the walls and ceiling of the space in a graphic Gucci paper emblazoned with lion’s heads. “It’s super granny, bordering on hideously ugly. But we loved that crazy-granny-in-the-attic vibe,” she says. Viñas accented the outré composition with a Gucci cat-print chair and a framed Catskills poster (with a cat head, naturally) created by graphic design maestro Milton Glaser as part of his work for the New York Board of Tourism.

Indeed, for all the porcine tables and Studio Job breast-form sconces and neon-orange Tom Dixon stools, the real soul of the residence is animated by the homeowners’ wide-ranging art collection, which encompasses works by a diverse roster of artists working in various media. A massive Jill Greenberg photograph of a bald eagle—a direct nod to the wildlife on the property—commands the dining room. The juxtaposition of a set of Kehinde Wiley portrait plates with a traditional 19th-century portrait painting—the sort of artwork that might have belonged to the home’s original owner, Eugene Augustus Livingston—makes a sly commentary on the changing definition of gentry over the past 200 years. Adding to the merry mix, a suite of photographer Henry Hargreaves’s images of contenders in Key West’s annual Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest adorns a stairwell.

“We share a love of whimsy with Ghislaine, but we were much more restrained in our choices than in our previous projects together. Basically, we added plenty of pops of color and interest without obliterating the character of the house,” one of the homeowners insists. “Many people over many years have touched this property. We think of ourselves as custodians of this historic place, and we’re incredibly grateful to steward it for the future.”

The Gothic Revival house, set on nearly one hundred acres in Tivoli, New York, was built in 1850 for Eugene Augustus Livingston, scion of the patrician Livingston clan. Trimble Architecture executed an extensive restoration a decade ago for the home’s previous owners.

Typically mad about color, Viñas kept the palette of the porch restricted to white in deference to the majestic landscape. As part of the earlier renovation, Trimble Architecture extended the Gothic Revival veranda around the house. Sofa, armchairs, and dining chairs by Paola Lenti through DDC ; cocktail tables by Blu Dot .

A pig table by Moooi greets guests in the foyer. Photograph by Richard Barnes .

A Jill Greenberg photograph makes a striking presence in the dining room.

The dining room is furnished with Viccarbe trestle tables through Mondo Collection , Saarinen dining chairs for Knoll in Maharam leather, and fluted wall-hanging cabinets by Ghislaine Viñas.

All the cabinetry and fittings in the kitchen were existing. Stools by Tom Dixon .

The living room is outfitted with a B&B Italia sofa and custom cocktail tables with inserts lined in wallpaper for a note of hidden delight.

Kehinde Wiley plates join in conversation with a nineteenth-century portrait in the living room.

Another look at the living room, and its expansive view.

A Hendrik Kerstens photograph hangs above the fireplace in the salon. BDDW chairs; Vitra sofa; Studio Job sconces; Hay cocktail tables through Design Within Reach .

Vintage plates from the clients’ collection were adhered to the wall as a readymade art installation. Photograph by Hendrik Kerstens .

A Scheublin & Lindeman lamp hangs in a stairwell. Photographs of entrants in an Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest in Key West are by Henry Hargreaves .

An artwork by Beth Hoeckel hangs in a guest bedroom. Gucci throw; Yayoi Kusama pumpkin pillow.

Viñas and her clients retained the house’s ubiquitous sisal carpets and oatmeal linen curtains from the last renovation. The bed is custom, and the chair is by Ligne Roset . Artworks by Geoffrey Notman and Magda Archer .

A Moooi rabbit lamp and a table lamp by Norm Architects for Menu rest on a custom bedside table with BDDW tiles in a guest room. Artwork by Martin Basher .

The attic is wrapped in a Gucci wallpaper. The bedside table is by Tom Dixon , and the poster is by Milton Glaser .