Who is Athena Calderone? What to know about the tastemaker whose style you’re probably already obsessed with

Even if you’re unfamiliar with Athena Calderone, chances are you’ve encountered hallmarks of her signature design style—from dramatically veined marble in the kitchen to white-on-white rooms with black-framed windows. The New York–based founder of lifestyle brand EyeSwoon is a pillar of inspiration for design enthusiasts who have logged countless hours on Instagram and Pinterest. Her former Brooklyn town house gained widespread adoration for its luxurious, clean-lined look in 2018, which propelled her blog into the lifestyle empire it is today. Below, learn all about the multihyphenate’s career, why people fell in love with her homes, and how her compelling style evolved to suit her new Manhattan pad.

Who is Athena Calderone?

Calderone’s former Brooklyn kitchen, which appeared in AD in 2018

Athena Calderone is a designer, chef, and entertaining expert based in New York. She founded a multidisciplinary design practice, Studio Athena Calderone, and EyeSwoon, a blog turned renowned brand dedicated to all things home, food, and living. The Long Island–born tastemaker has penned two books: the James Beard Award–winning Cook Beautiful and the design-centric Live Beautiful. She’s also collaborated on major collections with brands like Crate & Barrel and Beni Rugs. In addition to hosting her own podcast, More Than One Thing, for a few years, Calderone has appeared as a guest on daytime TV shows including Today and Rachael Ray.

How did she rise to lifestyle stardom?

Calderone with her husband and son at their former Brooklyn home

Before honing in on the art of living, Calderone explored many creative avenues from acting to yoga, according to The New York Times. She eventually took classes on interior design at Parsons and cooking lessons at culinary school. In 2011, she blended those passions by starting EyeSwoon as a Tumblr account. Calderone blogged about recipes and interiors as she and her husband, Victor, a music producer and DJ, fell into a rhythm of renovating and selling homes. This pursuit dates back to their first loft together in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood, which they moved into circa 1998. “We weren’t flippers,” Calderone told Architectural Digest in 2018. “The reason we became serial movers is because our needs kept changing. Each time we amplified our space, it also amplified my interest in design.”

When the couple and their son moved into a town house in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, the property became the eighth home they renovated together. The Greek Revival residence ignited endless Pinterest pins following our inside look at it in 2018. And the rest is history.

What’s her signature design style?

Calderone’s Amagansett beach house kitchen.

Calderone is known for crafting marble-clad, neutral interiors with European influence. In her now former Cobble Hill home and current Amagansett, New York, beach house, she created airy kitchens with boldly veined marble and Parisian-style open shelving. The Cobble Hill home’s romantic primary bathroom—with a pink marble shower, freestanding tub, and Murano glass chandelier—was once one of Pinterest’s most-pinned bathrooms. She’s also known for favoring predominately white rooms with tall black-framed windows, wiry light fixtures, artful Italian sofas, and organically shaped vases filled with branches. “People always say, ‘How do you keep that marble spotless?’” she told AD in 2020. “And I tell them, ‘I want to see those stains. I want to remember those moments when my son spilled his ice cream.’ It’s a marker; it’s a memory. I love the idea of something with a rich, unknown history starting a new life in your space.”

How has her design style evolved?

Calderone’s new Manhattan kitchen, where she is embracing a new, moodier style

Calderone’s recent work leans into warm tones, which is a departure from her previously cooler color palettes. Look no further than her Tribeca office, known as The Atelier, which boasts off-white walls, warm wood cabinetry, honey onyx countertops, cherry-red accents, and terrazzo flooring. And finally, after Calderone and her husband purchased an apartment in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood for a reported $6.3 million in 2023, their highly anticipated renovation has been unveiled. The handsomely wood-paneled home, which Calderone collaborated on with architect Danielle Siggerud, balances its historic roots with contemporary flair—and you can tour it here.