Presented with a grand dame of a New York pre-war apartment, we were hired to refresh the client’s residence of 25 years.

The bones of this home were fantastic, but it was very traditional and we were empowered to inject youthful elegance and energy into it, without doing a complete gut job.

The formal living room centered on a beautiful antique mantel which we chose to keep. This gave us a jumping off point to contrast some traditional furnishings into the mix. Our layout utilized the entire room, with the main grouping at the far end by the windows. This really made the space a joy to live in during the day, as well as at night, and its placement drew your eye fully into the salon. A secondary seating arrangement is a strictly tailored corner banquette, and the middle is filled with a geometric ottoman that connects both. Glints of gold, brass and leaf add luxurious warmth. Antiques include a Regence mirror and chairs, with their baroque flourishes adding softness.

The kitchen was a complete renovation, and reconsideration of the space planning to maximize the narrow “L” footprint functionally. Fresh white, palest grey and polished steel amplify the light of the rather dark room. A dining banquette provides comfortable seating, as well as softness to the otherwise hard materials.

In the dining room we went for a big WOW, with bold, custom wallcovering enveloping the space, which faces an interior light well. The furnishings are equally strong, a vast lacquer top table surrounded by a troop of tall chairs upholstered in vibrant blue, which match the buffet. Convex mirrors face each other, framed in brass with antiqued glass, they further amplify the light subtly and reflect the high glam brass chainmail chandelier.