The graciously proportioned prewar co-ops that overlook Central Park have become as much a part of the upper Fifth Avenue landscape as such celebrated neighbors as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, albeit in a more discreet fashion. One such building, designed in the 1920s by noted architect J.E.R. Carpenter, lured a family with its elegant plasterwork and oak paneling, lofty ceilings and views on all four sides. But the apartment, which had been reconfigured from two units by a previous owner, leaned a bit dark and formal for their tastes.
Enter Marie Flanigan. A former architect herself, the designer has a knack for understanding spaces and for bringing a clean, layered aesthetic to contemporary and classic dwellings alike. Having worked on the owners’ weekend abode, she also knew how to bridge their individual aesthetic preferences—the husband is partial to modern design and bold color while the wife prefers a traditional look and neutral hues—and make the apartment a real family home.
Fortunately, the project was well-suited for achieving this marriage of styles. “New York City is a beautiful juxtaposition of old-world charm and cutting-edge atmosphere, and this apartment is no exception,” Flanigan says. For her and her team, which included lead designer Sydney Manning, the challenge throughout was to modernize the space while enhancing its original character.
The first order of business was to refine the floor plan in collaboration with general contractor Vlad Tomasevic. In addition to giving the kitchen a new range hood and lightening the space with Calacatta marble counters, they transformed the apartment’s secondary living room into a primary suite and recast the former primary bedroom as a charming bedroom and play space for the couple’s daughters. As for the wife, she desired “an office in her closet, a kind of sanctuary where she could get some work done,” Flanigan explains. Painted a soothing pale pink, the newly tailored area is at once serene and inviting.
Working with designers Maddie Farmen and Kelsey Grant, Flanigan and Manning also strategized ways to maximize light throughout. That meant brightening up dark floorboards and toning down the wall paneling’s yellow undertones for a more natural look. Echoing the millwork detailing elsewhere with a contemporary twist, the team also installed new white paneling in both the kitchen and primary bedroom.
The desire for a fresh, modern take continues with the furnishings and fabric choices. “It was all about making things easy to live with,” Manning notes. “The wife would say, ‘I love it, but is it comfortable? Can I just curl up with the kids for an afternoon?’” While ensuring that the carpets underfoot were buttery soft and the upholstery inviting, performance fabrics and multicolor weaves keep everything kid-friendly. “We like to design spaces that people can relax and live life in without cringing every time somebody spills a drink,” Flanigan notes.
Against a mostly neutral background, the team introduced color with fabrics such as the gleaming blue silk-and-cotton velvet that swathes a bespoke sofa in the office. Azure hues show up again in the family room’s multicolored rug and lambswool satin draperies. More vibrant accents come courtesy of the clients’ art collection, acquired in concert with curatorial and art advisory firm Goodman Taft, and which includes a showstopping acrylic work by Katherine Bradford to welcome guests in the foyer.
Meanwhile, the nearby dining room’s moody floral walls are a holdover from the original space that the clients weren’t initially sure about keeping. “We were coming from a loft in SoHo,” the wife says, “and this new apartment had a crystal chandelier and purple draperies.” But Flanigan was certain that paired with modern lighting fixtures, contemporary furnishings and neutral accents, the botanical wallpaper would work.
She was right. What Flanigan calls “a juxtaposition of styles” has resulted in an interior that perfectly blends the couple’s disparate tastes and “feels collected over time,” the designer explains. “When you walk into each room, you can touch and see the type of craftsmanship that is typically only found in a historic home, but the clean lines of the furniture and layered textures make each space feel modern and refreshed.”
