The upcoming annual design episode of CBS Sunday Morning, titled "By Design," is set to broadcast on May 17, featuring veteran journalist Jane Pauley as she explores the architectural and aesthetic heritage of Philadelphia. This year’s installment is anchored in the city in recognition of the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States, a milestone that highlights Philadelphia’s central role in the nation’s founding and its continued influence on American design and culture. As the host of the program for nine years, Pauley provides viewers with a "velvet rope" pass into some of the most exclusive and historically significant properties in the region, bridging the gap between public history and private domestic life.
Among the primary locations featured in the special is Ardrossan, a 38,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion situated on Philadelphia’s prestigious Main Line. Built in 1911 and designed by the renowned architect Horace Trumbauer, the estate remains a private residence, a rarity for a property of its scale and historical magnitude. Ardrossan is perhaps best known in popular culture as the inspiration for Philip Barry’s play and the subsequent 1940 classic film The Philadelphia Story, starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. The estate, originally encompassing 800 acres, served as the ancestral home of the Montgomery family and stands as a testament to the Georgian Revival style that defined the aspirations of the American elite during the early 20th century.
Complementing the architectural grandeur of Ardrossan, the "By Design" episode also visits Chanticleer, a 48-acre public garden located in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Established a century ago as the estate of the Rosengarten family—prominent figures in the pharmaceutical industry—Chanticleer has evolved into what is widely regarded as one of the most imaginative "pleasure gardens" in the country. Unlike traditional botanical gardens, Chanticleer focuses on the artistry of horticulture, emphasizing texture, color, and the emotional resonance of the landscape. The inclusion of these sites reflects a broader thematic focus on how environment, both built and natural, shapes the human experience.
A Legacy of Journalism and Personal Design Philosophy
Jane Pauley’s involvement in the design special coincides with her own five-decade career in American broadcasting. Having served as a co-host of NBC’s Today Show for thirteen years and as a contributing anchor at CBS News since 2014, Pauley has become one of the most trusted faces in television news. However, her professional focus on design is mirrored by a deeply personal, and often humorous, relationship with her own living spaces. Married to Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau since 1980, Pauley has navigated the complexities of home ownership, renovation, and the negotiation of personal taste within a long-term partnership.
Pauley’s interest in the "ideation" of home began in her youth in Indiana. At the age of 13, her parents purchased a model home, and she recalls the formative experience of visiting the construction site to imagine the layout of the rooms based on stakes and string. This early fascination with spatial planning has translated into a life marked by ambitious, and sometimes chaotic, renovation projects. During the early years of her marriage to Trudeau, the couple lived through extensive home improvements, including a kitchen ceiling collapse the night before their wedding and a period where their bed was situated in the living room for months. Pauley’s willingness to endure such disruption suggests a commitment to the transformative power of design that transcends mere aesthetics.
The Psychology of the Interior: "Decoraphobia" and Spatial Layout
In discussions regarding her approach to interiors, Pauley has coined the term "decoraphobia" to describe the paralysis that can accompany major design decisions. Despite her professional decisiveness, she admits to a historical inability to commit to large furniture pieces, such as a sofa for her family room, due to the perceived weight of the decision. This psychological aspect of design—the pressure to create a "perfect" environment—is a common theme among homeowners and is a focal point of the "By Design" special.
Pauley’s design philosophy is also characterized by a proactive approach to spatial arrangement. She recounts an anecdote involving her three-year-old nephew, during which she rearranged his family’s living room furniture while waiting for a taxi to the airport. This impulse to optimize a room’s flow highlights her belief that space, light, and layout are fundamental to a sense of well-being. Her current domestic harmony is attributed to a 22-year collaboration with interior designer Alan Tanksley, who successfully mediated the differing tastes of Pauley and Trudeau. While Pauley favors change and evolution, Trudeau prefers consistency, reportedly returning moved objects—such as candlestick holders—to their original positions within a week. The resolution of these conflicting styles was found in a palette of celadon, moving away from a "terracotta" theme that Pauley had long found unappealing.
Historical Context: Philadelphia’s 250th Anniversary
The decision to anchor the "By Design" episode in Philadelphia is strategically timed with the lead-up to "America250," the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration in 2026. As the site where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed, Philadelphia is the epicenter of the nation’s historical narrative. However, the CBS special focuses on a different aspect of that history: the evolution of American domesticity and the architectural legacies of the industrial and post-industrial eras.
The Main Line, where Ardrossan is located, grew out of the expansion of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 19th century, creating a suburban enclave for Philadelphia’s wealthiest citizens. The architecture of this region reflects a blend of European influences and American ingenuity. By showcasing these locations, CBS Sunday Morning examines how historic preservation intersects with modern living. Ardrossan, in particular, represents a vanishing era of grand estate living that continues to influence modern luxury design and the American imagination.
The Art of Collection: From Mary Tyler Moore to Andy Warhol
Pauley’s personal history with design is also intertwined with her career milestones. Her first apartment in Chicago, where she became the city’s first female evening news co-anchor at age 24, was inspired by the fictional residence of Mary Richards from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This cultural touchstone represented a new era of independent womanhood, which Pauley mirrored by finishing her own furniture and reupholstering a sofa. As her career progressed and she moved to New York, her aesthetic was further refined through her friendship with Tom and Meredith Brokaw, who introduced her to a more sophisticated level of interior design.
The intersection of art and personal history is perhaps most vividly illustrated by an anecdote involving the late pop artist Andy Warhol. Pauley’s husband, Garry Trudeau, was the subject of two small-scale Warhol portraits in 1974. The commission followed a sitting arranged by Trudeau’s mother at Warhol’s studio, "The Factory." Interestingly, Warhol’s interest in completing the work seemingly intensified only after Trudeau won a Pulitzer Prize and appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The portraits were eventually reunited as a pair years later, having been stored in a drawer for a significant period due to Trudeau’s reluctance to display images of himself. This story underscores the complex relationship between public celebrity and private identity, a theme that Pauley has navigated throughout her life in the spotlight.
Implications and Analysis of Design as a Cultural Force
The "By Design" special serves as more than a tour of affluent homes; it functions as an analysis of design as a cultural force that reflects societal values. The transition from the rigid formality of Gilded Age mansions like Ardrossan to the experiential, art-focused landscapes of Chanticleer mirrors a broader shift in American life toward personal expression and the democratization of beauty.
Furthermore, Pauley’s transparency about her own "decoraphobia" and renovation struggles humanizes the often-intimidating world of high-end design. It suggests that the "power of design" is not merely about wealth or status, but about the intentional creation of a sanctuary. As Philadelphia prepares to host the nation for its 250th anniversary, the focus on its architectural and design heritage reminds audiences that the American story is written not just in halls of government, but in the homes and gardens that define the national landscape.
The upcoming broadcast is expected to draw significant viewership, continuing the program’s tradition of blending lifestyle journalism with historical context. By exploring the "velvet rope" destinations of Philadelphia, Jane Pauley and CBS Sunday Morning provide a nuanced look at how design continues to shape the American identity, two and a half centuries after the nation’s birth.
