Romilly Newman’s Park Slope Apartment Isn’t Trying To Be Light and Airy
Finding the perfect apartment in New York City is like trying to solve a puzzle while blindfolded—it’s a rare and grueling experience that would probably feel impossible in the moment. But for Romilly Newman, a born-and-raised New Yorker with a knack for making the impossible look effortless, the prize was worth the chase.
After four months of searching, she landed on a 19th-century Italianate brownstone in Park Slope, a neighborhood adored for its historic architecture, tree-lined streets, and proximity to Prospect Park. And just like that, the tastemaker who’s been designing trend-setting tablescapes and throwing dinner parties since her teen years had a new canvas to work her magic on.
But Newman’s Park Slope apartment isn’t your typical Instagram-ready New York space. It’s moody, eclectic, and unapologetically personal—words that could just as easily describe the 27-year-old herself. “I wanted to do something a little different than my usual style, playing with fabrics like mohair and leather,” she shares. “It’s darker and a little less overtly feminine than my typical spaces, but that’s part of why I love it.” This willingness to step outside the box, both in her home and her work, is why Newman has been quietly redefining what it means to be a tastemaker, eschewing trends for something far more authentic and timeless.
Newman’s unique flair for hosting, design, and food styling has been years in the making, for she got her start early—really early. By age 10, inspired by Ina Garten and the Food Network, she had taught herself to cook. At 11, she launched her food blog and YouTube channel, Little Girl in the Kitchen, which featured her whipping up sophisticated dishes like elderflower cordials, often while dressed in her mother’s finery. Two years later, she became the youngest-ever contestant on Chopped. Now, over a decade later, she’s a go-to name for designing unforgettable tablescapes, hosting chic events, and styling food that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
It’s no surprise that entertaining runs in her blood. Her mother, Antonia Dauphin, a British-Parisian casting director and screenwriter, raised Newman with a deep appreciation for elegance and fine dining. And her maternal grandmother, Ruda Michelle, was the kind of hostess whose dinner parties were the stuff of legend, and her paternal grandmother’s style inspires her till this day.
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