Located in New York’s historic Greenwich Village, this graciously scaled duplex maisonette in a 1906 building, featured in the September 2017 issue of LUXE Magazine, was designed by my firm for a young family with 2 children. Our charge was simple: Establish a historic connection to the neighborhood, while crafting custom details, and by choosing thoughtful furnishings, to create a happy and livable residence in which to raise a family.

The first-floor landing is encased in cerused-oak paneling. A 1940’s French trestle table from California takes center stage, illuminated by a pair of bronze table lamps found at an auction in Lambertville, Pennsylvania. The Moroccan style area rug is from Marc Phillips.

In the living room, a variety of furniture styles were layered to create a welcoming tableau. A custom area rug, as opposed to a Persian, anchors the space and telegraphs “This is not your mother’s pre-war apartment!” The canvas above the sofa, titled ‘Tough Girls’ is by Amy Sillman.

A set of 6 limited edition prints by American Audubon artist Walton Ford set the color scheme for the 1st-floor television room. The straight lines of the sofa in the style of Jean Michel Frank and the Parsons coffee table stand in contrast to the pair of curved-arm club chairs.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this home is the sweeping curved staircase that leads to the private quarters on the second floor. The custom runner, meticulously measured and manufactured to the contours of the stairs by Martin Patrick Evan, compliments the cerused-oak paneling we designed. The chandelier is by Lindsey Adelman.

To compensate for the lack of windows in the dining room, we commissioned artist Kevin Paulsen to paint murals depicting fantasy landscape elements based on New York history. The images, on distressed synthetic plaster over muslin, were painted off-site.

Deep blue Shaker-style cabinets and a coffered ceiling establish a historical context in the kitchen, while the banquette with ample seating and the counter with barstools create spaces for conversation while cooking, eating, and the occasional afternoon of coloring books and crayons.

Photographed for LUXE by Peter Murdock.