No matter where you go inside the former Fifth Avenue home of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, there are different interpretations of what home actually is, the story told through design.

"We really played with the idea of home to create a totally transformed experience in the Carnegie Mansion," said Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, curator of contemporary design and Hintz Secretarial Scholar at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

She is one of three curators behind the museum's seventh Design Triennial, titled "Making Home."

The exhibit, which features 25 installations, brings together artists, architects, designers, collaborators and community members from across the United States, its territories, and tribal nations. Many installations directly engage with the architecture of the more than 120-year-old building.

"We hope there is something for everyone. If you are interested in the history of decorative arts, architecture, or systems design—whether health care systems or mapping—we’ve really covered a lot of bases with a diverse roster of participants," Cunningham Cameron said.

Past visitors to the museum may notice something different: the mansion’s windows are open, filling the Gilded Age home with natural light and revealing a new perspective on its storied design.

"We are looking at this building in literally a brand-new light," said Christina De León, associate curator of Latino design and one of the exhibit’s organizers.

The design team also brought visitors closer to the installations than ever before.

"We've eliminated the barrier between the installation and the viewer," De León said. "As you walk into each of the spaces, you’re really immersed in this experience."

The Design Triennial is a collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

"Making Home" runs through Aug. 10 at the Cooper Hewitt. For more information or to plan your visit, go to cooperhewitt.org.