Nickey Kehoe: The Inspiring Story Behind a Distinctive American Interior Design Studio

Nickey Kehoe is an American interior design studio and home furnishings brand founded by creative partners Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe. Based in Los Angeles, with a retail presence in New York City, the company is recognized for residential interiors, vintage discoveries, handcrafted furniture, and carefully selected decorative objects. Its work blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary comfort, creating spaces that feel personal rather than excessively polished. From distinctive California homes to thoughtfully designed commercial environments, the studio has developed a recognizable approach to decorating that values atmosphere, practicality, and individuality.

Nickey Kehoe’s appeal lies in its ability to combine contrasting materials, periods, and influences without losing visual harmony. Understanding the founders, their creative philosophy and their expanding collection offers useful insight into a design business that has developed beyond conventional interior decoration.

What Is Nickey Kehoe?

Nickey Kehoe is both an interior design practice and a retail brand specializing in furniture, lighting, vintage objects, textiles, and home accessories.

Its founders, Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe, developed a business around their shared appreciation of beautiful objects and expressive living environments. Rather than presenting rooms as rigid examples of one decorative style, their work often combines antique furnishings, contemporary upholstery, unexpected color, and carefully arranged personal possessions.

The company operates through several connected activities, including residential and commercial design projects, an original furniture collection, curated retail showrooms and the HOUSEHOLD concept devoted to useful objects for everyday living.

This mix lets customers experience the brand in different ways. Some discover its work through completed interiors, while others visit a shop to find a chair, table lamp, ceramic vessel, or other distinctive furnishing.

Nickey Kehoe at a Glance

Field	Details
Brand name	Nickey Kehoe
Founders	Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe
Origin	Design partnership established in New York in 2004
Main base	Los Angeles, California
Industry	Interior design and home furnishings
Design collection	Introduced in 2008
Retail locations	Los Angeles and New York City
Specialities	Residential design, commercial interiors, furniture and vintage objects
Additional concept	HOUSEHOLD by Nickey Kehoe
Recognition	Architectural Digest AD100 2025 and 2026

The Story Behind the Founders

How Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe Met

The partnership began with a personal connection, not a formal business arrangement.

According to the founders, they met at a dinner party in Manhattan and quickly discovered a shared sense of humor and curiosity about design. Their friendship grew through conversations, visits to flea markets and a mutual appreciation of unusual objects.

One early experience involved purchasing matching antique cast-iron horse hooks during a shopping excursion. The small discovery became a memorable example of their developing creative connection.

Their early collaboration was informal. They experimented with design ideas, helped with decorating projects, and gradually recognized that their individual interests could support a professional partnership.

The business eventually took its name directly from their surnames.

Todd Nickey’s Creative Background

Before working professionally in interiors, Todd Nickey gained experience across several creative industries.

His career included independent film production, art and costume-related work, and visual merchandising. He later worked with major fashion businesses, including Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren.

Retail display design helped develop his understanding of visual storytelling, composition, and the relationship between objects and their surroundings.

These experiences influenced his approach to creating interiors that communicate atmosphere rather than simply following decorative conventions.

Amy Kehoe’s Background in Art and Design

Amy Kehoe’s early interests were shaped by architecture, art history, and the character of different environments.

She studied at Tulane University in New Orleans and spent time studying in Paris. Her exposure to European art, architecture, and decorative traditions broadened her visual perspective.

After moving into the design industry in New York, she developed professional experience that later complemented Nickey’s background in merchandising and creative presentation.

Together, they brought different strengths to the partnership while sharing an appreciation for history, materials, and the emotional character of interiors.

How the Design Business Developed

The partners’ professional relationship began in New York in 2004. Their work subsequently developed into a Los Angeles-based practice and retail business.

The Nickey Kehoe Collection launched in 2008, establishing a furniture range that reflected the founders’ preference for enduring forms, adaptable upholstery and carefully selected materials.

Their Los Angeles shop became an important part of the business, offering customers an environment where furniture, art, textiles, and vintage pieces could be appreciated together.

Rather than separating retail from interior design, the founders treated their showroom as another expression of their aesthetic.

Expansion into New York City

In 2024, the business opened a New York retail location, extending its presence beyond California.

The expansion was particularly meaningful because the founders’ original friendship and collaboration had begun in Manhattan.

The New York showroom introduced another audience to the brand’s furniture, decorative collections, and curated vintage objects.

Today, the company’s main retail presence extends across both American coasts.

What Makes the Nickey Kehoe Design Style Distinctive?

A Carefully Layered Approach

The studio’s interiors are notable for their combinations of styles and periods.

A room might contain an antique wooden table, a contemporary upholstered chair, a patterned rug and an unusual piece of ceramic art. Rather than requiring these objects to belong to one historical period, the arrangement depends on proportion, color, and visual balance.

This approach creates environments that can appear to have evolved naturally.

The result is often sophisticated without looking excessively formal.

The Importance of Vintage Furniture

Vintage pieces form an essential part of the founders’ design philosophy.

Older furnishings can introduce variations in material, craftsmanship, and form that are difficult to achieve when every item comes from a matching contemporary collection.

An antique cabinet may provide architectural character, while an inherited chair can carry sentimental importance.

The studio’s use of these objects also shows that individual history can matter as much as decorative fashion.

Vintage furniture is not automatically more sustainable or better made than new furniture, but restoring and continuing to use a suitable existing piece can avoid unnecessary replacement.

Comfort Before Perfection

Another defining quality is the relationship between visual interest and everyday usability.

Decorative rooms must still support ordinary activities. Comfortable seating, appropriate lighting, practical circulation, and furniture proportions remain important even when a project uses striking colors or unconventional objects.

Nickey Kehoe often pairs inviting upholstery with bolder decorative details.

In this approach, a beautiful room is not simply something to photograph. It should also work for the people who live in it.

Notable Residential and Commercial Projects

The studio’s public portfolio includes private homes and commercial interiors across a range of architectural settings.

Los Feliz Residential Design

One particularly instructive project involved a Spanish Colonial Revival house in Los Feliz, Los Angeles.

The designers addressed a long living room by organizing furniture into smaller conversational groups instead of relying on a conventional central sofa.

Four upholstered club chairs around a round table created a gathering area, while additional seating along the perimeter added flexibility.

The design demonstrated how furniture placement can respond to a room’s proportions rather than follow a predetermined layout.

It also highlighted the studio’s attention to architectural features and how people move between adjoining spaces.

Other Residential Work

The company’s published portfolio includes projects in Brentwood, Hollywood Hills, Santa Monica Canyon, Ojai, Malibu, and New York City.

These settings present different architectural demands, from California houses with strong indoor-outdoor relationships to urban residences requiring a more concentrated use of space.

The studio’s work adapts to those circumstances rather than applying identical furniture arrangements to every property.

Commercial Interior Design

Nickey Kehoe has also worked on commercial environments.

Its public portfolio identifies projects connected with fashion brand DÔEN, Shutters on the Beach and A.O.C.

Commercial design requires additional consideration of customer movement, brand identity, durability, and visitors’ practical experience.

The studio’s involvement in these environments demonstrates how its decorative approach extends beyond residential living rooms and bedrooms.

Furniture and Home Collections

The business sells original furniture alongside complementary products and vintage finds.

Its product categories include seating, tables, lighting, wallpaper, rugs, textiles, tabletop accessories and household objects.

The collection is particularly associated with traditional furniture silhouettes interpreted through contemporary materials and finishes.

Handmade Furniture and Customization

According to the company’s own description, its furniture collection is produced through family-owned and operated Los Angeles workrooms.

Selected pieces offer customization through upholstery fabrics and wood finishes.

This allows a customer or interior designer to adapt an existing furniture design to the colors, materials, and proportions of a particular project.

The company also offers a Customer’s Own Material option for eligible upholstery orders, enabling customers to supply suitable fabric.

Custom work requires practical decisions about material compatibility, durability, measurements and production requirements.

A carefully chosen finish may improve how well a piece fits an interior, but customers should always confirm specifications before purchasing.

Lighting and Decorative Objects

Lighting is another important part of the collection.

Table lamps, pendants and decorative fixtures contribute both illumination and visual character.

The wider selection includes ceramics, mirrors, artwork, and textiles that can add a personal touch to a room.

These smaller pieces are especially useful for people who appreciate the studio’s aesthetic but aren’t commissioning an entire interior.

What Is HOUSEHOLD by Nickey Kehoe?

HOUSEHOLD is a related retail concept focused on useful home and garden items.

The first Los Angeles location opened in 2022, followed by a New York presence in 2024.

While the principal showroom emphasizes interiors, furniture, and decorative collections, HOUSEHOLD gives greater attention to objects used in everyday domestic routines.

These include items associated with kitchens, bathrooms, gardening, cleaning, storage, and general household organization.

The concept reflects the founders’ belief that practical objects can possess visual character without sacrificing their intended purpose.

For shoppers, the distinction is helpful: the main showroom offers a broad furniture and design experience, while HOUSEHOLD gives everyday tools and accessories a more prominent role.

Recognition in the Interior Design Industry

Nickey Kehoe has received significant recognition within American design publishing.

The studio appeared in Architectural Digest’s AD100 selections for 2025 and 2026, which recognize designers and practices working across interiors, architecture, and related disciplines.

Its completed projects have also attracted coverage from established interiors publications.

This recognition shows professional visibility, but it should not be interpreted as proof that one studio is the best choice for every customer or project.

The quality of an interior design service ultimately depends on factors such as the client’s requirements, budget, architectural context, and working relationship.

How to Bring This Design Approach Into Your Own Home

The studio’s work offers principles that can be adapted without purchasing an entire collection or attempting to recreate a photographed interior.

Begin With Meaningful Furniture

Choose one existing object that matters to you.

It might be a family dining table, a well-made wooden cabinet, or a vintage armchair.

Building around an important piece can give a room continuity and help prevent unnecessary purchases.

Mix Different Textures

Texture introduces depth even when a room uses a restrained color palette.

Linen upholstery, polished wood, woven rugs, ceramics, and natural fibers can work together when their colors and proportions feel connected.

The aim is not to include every available texture, but to develop contrast without visual confusion.

Introduce Vintage Pieces Thoughtfully

Second-hand furniture can add variety, but condition matters.

Inspect structural joints, upholstery, surface damage, and repair needs before buying. Older electrical items should be professionally assessed before use.

A carefully selected vintage object is often more useful than several decorative purchases that lack a clear purpose.

Plan Furniture Around Real Activities

Consider how a room will be used before selecting its largest pieces.

A family living room may need space for conversation, reading, children, or work. A narrow room may function better with smaller seating groups than with one oversized sofa.

Good interior planning supports these activities while maintaining comfortable movement.

Allow the Room to Develop

A layered interior rarely needs to be completed immediately.

Adding objects over time makes it easier to recognize what is missing and avoid purchases made to fill space.

The most convincing rooms often reflect changing interests and personal experiences.

Visiting the Los Angeles and New York Showrooms

The company’s published retail locations, as listed in November 2026, are:

Location	Address
Los Angeles	7266 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036
New York City	49 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003

Both locations offer opportunities to explore the furniture and homeware collections in a physical retail setting.

Before traveling, visitors should confirm current opening hours, product availability, and any arrangements needed for a particular inquiry.

The interior design studio operates separately from ordinary retail shopping, so customers seeking a complete design service should contact the appropriate team rather than assume that a showroom visit includes a consultation.

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FAQs

Who founded Nickey Kehoe?

The company was founded by Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe, whose creative partnership began in New York in 2004. They later developed a Los Angeles-based interior design studio and furnishings business.

What is Nickey Kehoe famous for?

The studio is known for layered residential interiors, vintage furniture, thoughtfully selected home accessories, and custom furnishings. Its projects frequently combine historical influences with contemporary comfort.

Where is Nickey Kehoe based?

The business is principally based in Los Angeles, California, and also operates a retail showroom in New York City.

Does Nickey Kehoe design furniture?

Yes. The company offers its own furniture collection, including seating and other furnishings. Selected pieces can be customized with different fabrics and finishes.

Can you hire Nickey Kehoe for interior design?

The business operates a professional design studio with a portfolio of residential and commercial work. Prospective clients can contact its design team to enquire about project suitability, scope and availability.

Final Takeaway

Nickey Kehoe represents a thoughtful approach to interior design built around craftsmanship, history and personal expression. What began as a friendship between Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe grew into a recognized design practice, a furniture collection, and retail destinations in two major American cities.

Its enduring appeal comes from combining beautiful objects with practical living environments. Rather than treating interiors as fixed arrangements that must follow a particular trend, the studio demonstrates how spaces can gain character through considered choices, meaningful possessions and an appreciation of different periods of design.

For readers interested in furniture, home decoration or the business of interior design, its development offers a useful example of how a clear creative identity can extend across projects, products and retail experiences.