The Art of Entertaining
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The living room features a Russian Cubist study, an Art Déco low table and gilt torchères.
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Walls painted with liquid copper leaf and black-lacquered moldings lend drama to the entrance hall and the vestibule, beyond. The bench is from Julia Gray. Stark carpet.
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"My home is always busy—it's a complete personification of my business," says celebrity party planner Colin Cowie. With interior designer Charles Allem, Cowie joined together and renovated two New York City apartments to serve as his residence and office.
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A 1930s desk and a 1940s-style cocktail cart occupy Cowie's office. His television series Everyday Elegance with Colin Cowie begins its third season in October.
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"I love to have a change of energy and pace from room to room," says Allem. Settings designed by Cowie highlight the dining room. The 1950s chandelier is Viennese.
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A Bjorn Rye painting, one of three, set the tone for the living room. "Then we found the Savonnerie rug," says Allem. "It really validated the room." Egyptian-style French Déco vases from Bernd Goeckler. Steinway grand piano. Clarence House print on chairs. Stark carpet.
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"I like color," says Allem. "I'm not afraid to push the envelope." A Matisse drawing and two works by Bettina Warner hang in the sitting room. Velvet on the gilt-framed suite is from Old World Weavers, as is the drapery taffeta. Baccarat champagne flutes.
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Cowie's goal was for the apartment to be "glamorous and Old World but edgy at the same time," he says. Rich textures and colors unify the master bedroom. The 1940s mirrored screen is French. The tufted velvet headboard wall conceals a window. Baccarat vase.