This Park Avenue apartment showcases Lisa Melone Cloughen’s flair for designing residential interiors that are luxurious and sophisticated, yet functional and in harmony with the clients’ lifestyles.
Finance husband & wife
This 2,900 sq ft (269 sqm) apartment is home to a finance executive and his wife, who both love art, music, travelling and philanthropy.
Their brief to Lisa Melone Cloughen, principal of Melone Cloughen Interiors, was to create a luxurious, glamourous and sophisticated interior with a neutral colour palette that would form the backdrop for their art collection.
![lm-0655-2-1-819x1024-1 The interior design evokes a sense of glamour and sophistication set against a neutral colour palette.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lm-0655-2-1-819x1024-1.jpg)
Park Avenue Apartment
Located in a landmark pre-war Park Avenue building, the apartment was in poor condition when the couple purchased it. “
Much of the original charm had been lost and I wanted to reinstate that in keeping with the era of the building,” says Lisa.
Apartment was in bad condition
The couple appreciates a refined environment with no jarring elements, be it bold colours or too many design elements vying for attention within the space.
“Given the clients’ preferences and less is more mindset, as well as taking into consideration the grand nature of the space, I wanted the interior to have a magnificent feeling with more than just a nod to the period of the building,” shares Lisa.
The apartment harks back to an earlier era and is designed to reflect a modern take on the glamour of Art Deco in New York.
![2014-09-21-09-16-09-1-768x1024-1 The apartment harks back to an earlier era and is designed to reflect a modern take on the glamour of Art Deco in New York.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2014-09-21-09-16-09-1-768x1024-1.jpg)
![afterbath2-2-819x1024-1 The bathroom vanity is a custom piece with a hand- glazed finish. Drapes and beaded crystal sconces from Sherle Wagner enhance the dramatic effect.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/afterbath2-2-819x1024-1.jpg)
The bathroom vanity is a custom piece with a hand- glazed finish. Drapes and beaded crystal sconces from Sherle Wagner enhance the dramatic effect.
Art Deco Interior Design
And so, she went about a modern take on the glamour of Art Deco in New York. The homeowners wanted some sparkle and gleam to set off the neutral colour palette, so Lisa and her team included a lot of semi-gloss and high-gloss paint finishes.
“But we did not want the apartment to have a cold feeling, so we chose a mix of cool and warm neutrals throughout the interior, and complemented these with a significant amount of ambient lighting with warm light sources,” she explains.
![lm-0630-2-819x1024-1 The elliptical entrance hall has a domed ceiling with an antique Orrefors light fixture. Slabs of lightly polished Afyon white marble were cut and laid in a pie wedge pattern to echo the elliptical space.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lm-0630-2-819x1024-1.jpg)
Entrance Hall
The overall configuration of the apartment is one long rectangle, which can be a little monotonous despite the grand scheme of things complete with gracious room dimensions and high ceiling heights.
To add drama, the entrance hall was reshaped into an ellipse crowned by an elliptical domed ceiling.
The relationship between the living and formal dining rooms has been carefully articulated in terms of the sequence of spaces, the transition in between and the farming of views from one room to the other. “The wall separating the living room and dining room existed originally, but it was unsound and had to be rebuilt.
We took the opportunity to re-think the pocket door and opted for glass panes instead of solid doors. These add another dimension of elegance and sophistication,” Lisa elaborates.
![lm-0644-2-2-1024x1024-1 The kitchen incorporates a small dining area with an iconic Eero Saarinen Tulip table with a custom top in a honed Afyon marble. The chair seats are upholstered in a metallic leather from Kravet.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lm-0644-2-2-1024x1024-1.jpg)
Kitchen
The galley kitchen incorporates a casual dining area. The discovery of an additional window that was previously boarded up provided a much-welcomed source of natural light to the interior.
![lm-0599-2-1-1024x819-1 The Louis J Solomon headboard is framed in a silver leaf with Jagtar Thai silk upholstery. The writing desk in the corner with a white gold finish is from Nancy Corzine and it is paired with a Lucite desk chair from Plexicraft.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lm-0599-2-1-1024x819-1.jpg)
Bedroom
The master bedroom is a warm and light-filled space whose design is subtle, layered in shades of cream white, silver leaf and mirrored accents.
The clients have a fairly extensive collection of art, including several paintings of the New York skyline that Lisa knew she would definitely incorporate into the interior.
Two large-scale pieces were hung on opposite walls of the living room to provide a lovely juxtaposition to the starburst mirror over the mantle and the softness of the paint finish.
![lm-0536-2-1-1-819x1024-1 The layering of spaces adds a level of complexity to an otherwise straightforward, rectangular layout.](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/lm-0536-2-1-1-819x1024-1.jpg)
Home Art Gallery
In the dining room, pieces were chosen to complement the moody colours, as well as in consideration of their effect on the ambience of the space. As for the library, Lisa went for two older oil paintings that lend a sense of warmth and graciousness to the room.
For Lisa, luxury is about defining and creating a sense of peace and beauty that resonates with her clients.
“Given the frantic world that we live in and the constant demand on our senses, we all need to come home to an environment that harmonises with our lifestyle and ultimately enhances us personally,” Lisa emphasises.
“I firmly believe that my interiors are meant to evoke a relaxed elegance and a soothing peacefulness that is as conducive to entertaining as it is to quiet relaxation,” she adds.