Lisa Melone Cloughen, Principal Designer at Melone Cloughen Interiors, believes traditional design exudes a sense of timelessness — without being a slave to the past. Here she unpacks her design of this Pre-War Manhattan apartment that may look traditional but packs a lot of style.
1. I love that chandelier, and I have been a fan of the Paul Ferrante Collection for some time. I chose this piece for a couple of reasons: I would consider the design of the space to be a modern riff on the Art Deco period and the elegant line of the chandelier speaks to that era. Also, the 24-karat white gold finish completes the overall glamorous effect. Lastly, the sophisticated design of the fixture does not fight with the artwork, but rather adds to the space.
2. I enjoy the opportunity to work in neutral palettes, and it is by no means boring. I think the key to neutrals is finding that balance between cool and warm tones and then adding a significant amount of texture and a bit of gleam to the space. For the Manhattan project, I had the walls hand-rubbed and glazed to add texture and depth in order to create a sense of envelopment and calm.
3. Pre-War spaces are primarily a challenge in that they have usually gone through several renovations over the lifetime of the building and oftentimes the results are not good. For instance, during this project, we found a window in the kitchen that had been covered and, for some odd reason, one of the bedrooms had the ceilings dropped. We also found that the wall between the living room and dining room was not structurally sound and needed to be replaced. Renovations in older buildings can definitely be a challenge but very rewarding in the end.
