{"id":332079,"date":"2026-08-28T19:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/332079\/"},"modified":"2026-08-28T19:04:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:04:46","slug":"tour-a-manhattan-apartment-thats-a-colourful-parisian-jewel-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/332079\/","title":{"rendered":"Tour a Manhattan apartment that’s a colourful ‘Parisian jewel box’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Serene\u2019 is a word you\u2019d rarely use to describe Midtown Manhattan. But Sutton Place, a pint-size residential enclave perched above the East River, is about the closest you\u2019ll get to a an escape from concrete jungle, with its stately prewar buildings and verdant pocket parks.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

A Connecticut couple in search of a New York <\/a>pied-\u00e0-terre were similarly drawn to the neighbourhood, and wound up purchasing a one-bedroom apartment in a handsome co-op designed by Emery Roth in 1938. \u2018My family had an apartment for 25 years in a different Emery Roth building, and so a lot of the details in the common areas felt very familiar,\u2019 the wife says.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Less familiar were the apartment\u2019s interiors, which in addition to a quirky layout that included a sunken living room, featured heavy, late-1990s details like dark wood accents, crystal sconces and a dated marble bathroom. Still, the clients saw potential in the 850 sq ft unit\u2019s graciously proportioned rooms and glimmers of Roth\u2019s original details. \u2018I thought we could do something great with it,\u2019 the wife says.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Enter New York<\/a>-based interior designer Lauren Carlucci<\/a>, who started her eponymous studio in 2023 after spending years in the art world. \u2018I started this project at my kitchen table,\u2019 Carlucci says. While the designer has an affinity for exuberant pattern, the client wanted something more subdued: \u2018Our home in Connecticut is very traditional Connecticut. There’s a lot of wallpaper,\u2019 she says. \u2018For this, I wanted something that was different, something that was calm, clean, and restful \u2013 an oasis in the busy city.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018She wanted a Parisian jewel box,\u2019 Carlucci adds, \u2018so that\u2019s exactly what we delivered.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

The designer started by stripping back the apartment\u2019s non-original details and clarifying the floorplan. Closet space was sacrificed to enlarge the galley kitchen and the small bathroom. Gone went the ornate mouldings and a bulky wood bannister fencing in the sunken living room. \u2018We demolished it all,\u2019 Carlucci says.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

During the design phase, Carlucci fell in love with the few original 1930s details that remained in the home \u2013 soft curves on the doorframes and ceiling mouldings. She designed to lean into these modernist influences in her scheme. \u2018I really left these little breadcrumbs,\u2019 Carlucci says of her historical influences, \u2018a mix of art deco<\/a>, streamline moderne, and maybe a little Bauhaus<\/a> here and there.\u2019<\/p>\n

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

That starts as soon as you enter the apartment and are greeted by a set of green lacquered storage closets and a hexagonal mirror. Look closely, and you\u2019ll spot a stepped, art deco motif in the cabinet hardware and the baseboards. A lively Jazz Age squiggle can be found in the border of the custom rug as well as the silhouette of a railing tracing a diminutive set of steps down to the living area.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Gone, of course, is the bannister, which made the sunken living room feel small and disconnected from the rest of the apartment. Now, the room almost vibrates thanks to cream coloured walls, and furnishings in rich burgundy and chocolate brown, and \u2013 the biggest surprise \u2013 a carpet in a zippy chartreuse silk.<\/p>\n

A new fireplace surrounded by shelving that displays artworks and objects from the clients\u2019 personal collection creates a restful focal point. No surprise, the profile of the new mantel matches the profile of the doors and mouldings. \u2018There\u2019s a story being told,\u2019 Carlucci says.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Back up the mini<\/a> set of stairs, guests reach the kitchen, which is similarly drenched in a restful off-white palette. A small dining nook, where the clients will have their morning coffee and read the newspaper, is a moment of sheer fun, with red banquette seating and a tubular chair where Carlucci had the opportunity to inject a \u2018blast of pattern\u2019 via a leopard-print fabric.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Carlucci amped up the art deco glamour in the bathroom. Dark millwork, polished nickel, and black marble create a sophisticated, timeless atmosphere.\u2019I loved the idea of bringing in black,\u2019 Carlucci says. Open up the shower, though, and there\u2019s a surprise: an enclosure of handmade brown tiles, mottled like tortoiseshell from the British company Balineum<\/a>. \u2018It\u2019s fun designing small spaces because you can pack a punch,\u2019 the designer adds.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

The apartment\u2019s sole bedroom is a serene retreat, thanks to taupe walls (\u2018Matchstick\u2019 by Farrow & Ball<\/a>), and a plush turquoise carpet. Like the living room, the colour palette is unexpected \u2013 the bed is upholstered in a deep rust velvet, while a reading chair is covered in a lime-coloured cotton \u2013 but the rich tones, sumptuous textures and neutral walls allow them to harmonise.<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

Carlucci didn\u2019t have to shop for much furniture; items from the couple\u2019s own collection were reupholstered and refinished. Flanking the bed are a pair of art deco nightstands from the husband\u2019s bachelor apartment. \u2018They’ve been with us a long time, and it’s wonderful to see them,\u2019 the client says. The living room sofa also got restuffed and reupholstered and is now the optimal snuggling spot for the homeowners\u2019 Havanese, Ginger.<\/p>\n

\u2018We wanted it to be luxurious, but without being fussy. And I think that Lauren has accomplished that perfectly,\u2019 the client says. \u2018We’re very happy here.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\"Lauren\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Brett Wood; Styled by Tim Brown)<\/p>\n

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