Manhattan Masterwork
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"Blue is the primary color in the living room because of the expansive view," says the designer. Fernand Léger's Les Pistons , 1918, hangs near a late-18th-century Italian fruitwood tall case clock. A 1942 bronze horse by Marino Marini is at left. Kravet drapery fabric.
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"The basic premise of our design was to allow the art to make the impact in the spaces," David Easton says of a Manhattan penthouse he renovated with architect Eric J. Smith. La Route , 1875, by Paul Cézanne is above a French demilune console in the entrance hall.
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Easton and Smith opened up the double-height space, which once included a library and a bedroom. Georges Braque's Le Guéridon , 1938, left, and Ocean Park No. 9 , 1968, by Richard Diebenkorn are on the walls. The rug, from Beauvais, is a reproduction of a Portuguese carpet.
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The pine-paneled library "is cozy and accessible," notes the designer. Tête de Femme , 1943, by Picasso hangs over the sofa. Armand Guillaumin's Epinay-sur-Orge , circa 1884, is at right. A quill box tops the low table. The carpet is from Saxony.
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Easton relaxes in the livin groom. Picasso's Femme Assise, Fond Rouge et Jaune , 1952, and Femme à la Résille , 1938, are behind him.
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The hand-painted chinoiserie wallcovering in the dining room "brings great excitement to the space," says Easton. A French Art Déco mirror is above the circa 1750 Irish Georgian console embellished with a carved mask. At right is a circa 1820 Chinese ivory pagoda.
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"The master bedroom, while large, faces north and east, so we chose a warm palette of coral, pink and salmon," explains Easton. A 19th-century painted low table and a two-arm button-tufted settee are by the fireplace. The drapery fabric is from Scalamandré.
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The terrace was rebuilt; it now extends the full length of the living room. "It has a sweeping view of Central Park and the Upper East Side," Smith points out. "The owners entertain a great deal, so we created an outdoor living space, with light, movable furniture."