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Houzz Tour: Art Deco Influences With a Global Touch
A designer uses her clients’ passion for learning as inspiration when remodeling their East Coast apartment
After an extensive process in which she thoroughly gets to know her clients, interior designer Lisa Tharp had this couple’s likes, interests and the way they wanted to feel in their home down pat. “My clients are such fascinating people. They are curious, academic and passionate about so many subjects,” she says. “They wanted their urban apartment to feel open and airy and be all about the spectacular views of the park below. The design inspiration is kind of Art Deco meets the solar system.”
During this initial phase of the design process, Tharp’s clients realized that a more architectural and extensive renovation would be needed to make their home everything it could be. “The apartment had a lot of faux Roman columns, an oak Colonial-style mantel and odd soffits and shelves that didn’t function well,” Tharp says. “As I gained their trust, they were able to see the possibilities.” She outfitted the home with a dining room that doubles as a library; a study she dubbed “the map room”; and a beautiful mix of furniture and accessories with vintage European lighting, 1970s Italian-inspired high design, custom rugs, original artwork and new furniture and paint colors she designed herself.
During this initial phase of the design process, Tharp’s clients realized that a more architectural and extensive renovation would be needed to make their home everything it could be. “The apartment had a lot of faux Roman columns, an oak Colonial-style mantel and odd soffits and shelves that didn’t function well,” Tharp says. “As I gained their trust, they were able to see the possibilities.” She outfitted the home with a dining room that doubles as a library; a study she dubbed “the map room”; and a beautiful mix of furniture and accessories with vintage European lighting, 1970s Italian-inspired high design, custom rugs, original artwork and new furniture and paint colors she designed herself.
The black door seen in the previous photo leads to this powder room. Tharp continued the glamour in this space, which previously had red toile wallpaper and a pedestal sink.
The wallcovering is textured, with a raised gold windowpane pattern. Tharp designed a custom vanity and backsplash in marble. And she had the painter add gilt paint on the ceiling.
Tharp paid attention to every detail, installing a mirror that reminded her of 1960s Italian designs by Gio Ponti. Then she played off its curved lines with the sconces. “I just love these fixtures. They look like necklaces,” she says.
Faucets: Waterworks; wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries
Browse wallpaper in the Houzz Shop
The wallcovering is textured, with a raised gold windowpane pattern. Tharp designed a custom vanity and backsplash in marble. And she had the painter add gilt paint on the ceiling.
Tharp paid attention to every detail, installing a mirror that reminded her of 1960s Italian designs by Gio Ponti. Then she played off its curved lines with the sconces. “I just love these fixtures. They look like necklaces,” she says.
Faucets: Waterworks; wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries
Browse wallpaper in the Houzz Shop
This foyer off the dark elevator vestibule starts to lighten things up. “The spaces get lighter and lighter as they get closer to the park views,” Tharp says. She upholstered the walls in silk, upholstered a settee in mauve channel-tufted velvet and chose a hand-loomed Tibetan wool rug. All of these textures and warm colors make the space feel inviting and nurturing.
The chandelier is a vintage 1970s Venini opaline glass tube fixture. Tharp sourced vintage European light fixtures throughout the apartment. “We try to go local as much as possible, but we found ourselves importing a lot of vintage lighting from Europe,” she says. “Lighting really is the jewelry of the room.”
The painting by Nicole Chesney is layers of oil paint on etched mirrored glass.
The chandelier is a vintage 1970s Venini opaline glass tube fixture. Tharp sourced vintage European light fixtures throughout the apartment. “We try to go local as much as possible, but we found ourselves importing a lot of vintage lighting from Europe,” she says. “Lighting really is the jewelry of the room.”
The painting by Nicole Chesney is layers of oil paint on etched mirrored glass.
Tharp used different colored and textured glass pieces throughout the apartment. Here the handblown glass purple vessel is by Joe Cariati. The 1980s console table’s lines are Art Deco-inspired.
The foyer opens to this hallway, which leads to the dining room-library. Tharp gave the ceiling a glossy golden hue, which plays off the vintage sconces, which came from the Prince de Galles Hotel in Paris. Tharp had new replica silk shades made for them. She worked with The Rug Co. to create the lavender wool-and-silk runner, whose subtle geometric pattern foreshadows a motif used throughout the home.
This Hellman-Chang Sternum chaise, sculptural marble Holly Hunt side table and bold painting by Richard Schur draw they eye down the hall. The alcove used to be a closet.
“They have plenty of storage in this apartment, so this was a good opportunity to create an art niche,” Tharp says. “We curated every little thing in here with their interests in mind.” For example, the two sculptural pieces are spun aluminum replicas of German TV towers. It turned out that, by coincidence, her clients had visited one of those towers on a trip to Germany years ago.
She also added new millwork, inspired by the historic stone building’s architecture. “This paneling feels classic like the building,” she says.
Shop for a chaise in the Houzz Shop
“They have plenty of storage in this apartment, so this was a good opportunity to create an art niche,” Tharp says. “We curated every little thing in here with their interests in mind.” For example, the two sculptural pieces are spun aluminum replicas of German TV towers. It turned out that, by coincidence, her clients had visited one of those towers on a trip to Germany years ago.
She also added new millwork, inspired by the historic stone building’s architecture. “This paneling feels classic like the building,” she says.
Shop for a chaise in the Houzz Shop
The clients often have extended family staying with them and like to entertain. But day to day, it’s usually just the two of them. “I didn’t want them to feel like they were sitting at a big conference table for dinner when they didn’t have guests,” Tharp says. So she designed a set of three custom tables that also function as library tables to create an intimate setting for them. The third table lives in the kitchen and slides between the two seen here when they couple are hosting.
Knowing how much time they like to read and research, she had the tables wired for library lamps. An alabaster detail on the table bases plays off the alabaster ceiling light. Tharp took her clients shopping to choose the chairs, making sure they found them comfortable. “They have so many interests, and I knew they would be sitting in them for long stretches enjoying their books,” she says.
Knowing how much time they like to read and research, she had the tables wired for library lamps. An alabaster detail on the table bases plays off the alabaster ceiling light. Tharp took her clients shopping to choose the chairs, making sure they found them comfortable. “They have so many interests, and I knew they would be sitting in them for long stretches enjoying their books,” she says.
One of Tharp’s most striking architectural changes is in the dining room. “Before, this wall was lined with shelves that weren’t even wide enough to accommodate a book, and it had an odd soffit and short doors,” she says. She redesigned the entire wall of shelves to house the couple’s book collection and extended the doors in the middle to an 8-foot height. She also added art lighting over the shelves. “We love to treat books as works of art and to light them as such,” she says.
The curation continued to the books. While the couple had many beloved tomes, Tharp and her team picked out additional volumes about subjects she knew they would enjoy. “These clients are just so academic and curious. They are interested in so many things,” she says.
With input from her clients, she collaborated on the rug with the manufacturer. It’s wool and silk with lines inspired by the stepped outlines of Art Deco architecture.
Wall paint: Park View Grey; trim paint: Met Grey, both Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
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The curation continued to the books. While the couple had many beloved tomes, Tharp and her team picked out additional volumes about subjects she knew they would enjoy. “These clients are just so academic and curious. They are interested in so many things,” she says.
With input from her clients, she collaborated on the rug with the manufacturer. It’s wool and silk with lines inspired by the stepped outlines of Art Deco architecture.
Wall paint: Park View Grey; trim paint: Met Grey, both Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
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The dining room opens to the kitchen. Tharp added this nook as well as the opening behind the banquette on the left. “This room doesn’t have park views, but this way they can look all the way down through the dining room to the living room and see it,” she says. The opening can be closed off, thanks to embrasured shutters that tuck into the sides of it. The use of this clever element was inspired by similar shutters Tharp had restored in a historic governor’s house a few years earlier. She used a glossy paint on the ceiling to reflect light.
The leaf-shaped sconces flanking the black doors are vintage Murano glass fixtures. They play off the leafy views and the chaise in the library. The bowl is alabaster, a connection to the alabaster on the table bases and light fixture in the dining room.
Alabaster Cumulo bowl: Caleb Siemon
The leaf-shaped sconces flanking the black doors are vintage Murano glass fixtures. They play off the leafy views and the chaise in the library. The bowl is alabaster, a connection to the alabaster on the table bases and light fixture in the dining room.
Alabaster Cumulo bowl: Caleb Siemon
The dining-library space opens to the living room. Tharp created a transitional moment here with a sconce and chair. The molding on the wall is part of the new millwork.
Another feature seen here is the flooring. Tharp used a very dark stain on the existing hardwoods. This anchors the rooms in hues that contrast with all of the light pieces and bright sunlight in the apartment.
Another feature seen here is the flooring. Tharp used a very dark stain on the existing hardwoods. This anchors the rooms in hues that contrast with all of the light pieces and bright sunlight in the apartment.
In the living room, the fireplace and park views are competing focal points. This made laying out the furniture tricky. Tharp responded by designing two sofas with curved backs that can serve both views. “I drew two curves and one had a partially open back. These were a play off Fibonacci’s golden ratio,” she says. The cocktail table base is from a 1970s plaster table. She had a new glass top made for it to accommodate the sofa’s curve.
The old fireplace surround was Colonial style in oak. Tharp scored a beautiful marble remnant to replace it. The sconces are vintage Kalmar citrus swirl sconces from Austria. The painting over the mantel is by Keira Kotler and the sculptures in between the windows are blown mercury glass by Jennifer and Thor Bueno. Tharp lit them from above with a slim art light. The silk rug was designed by Helen Amy Murray.
To keep the focus on the views, the homeowners wanted to forgo window treatments. Tharp had hidden remote-control shades installed over all the windows.
The old fireplace surround was Colonial style in oak. Tharp scored a beautiful marble remnant to replace it. The sconces are vintage Kalmar citrus swirl sconces from Austria. The painting over the mantel is by Keira Kotler and the sculptures in between the windows are blown mercury glass by Jennifer and Thor Bueno. Tharp lit them from above with a slim art light. The silk rug was designed by Helen Amy Murray.
To keep the focus on the views, the homeowners wanted to forgo window treatments. Tharp had hidden remote-control shades installed over all the windows.
It’s hard to imagine what this beautiful family room looked like with the walls upholstered in black fabric. But that’s what was here before the renovation, when this was a screening room. The designer replaced the black with paneled walls in a beautiful light blue. The coffered ceiling was existing.
From there, figuring out the layout for the large room was a challenge. Tharp met it by facing this sofa toward the television and adding swivel chairs that can spin around to enjoy the park views. “I created multiple zones for a crowd,” she says.
She helped create a wall-to-wall carpet in a geometric pattern by Spanish designer Lorenzo Castillo. She plucked colors from the room, such as the caramel of the swivel chairs’ upholstery, to use in the pattern. She also designed the leatherette ottoman.
Wall color: Williams Blue; ceiling paint: Creamery White, both Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
From there, figuring out the layout for the large room was a challenge. Tharp met it by facing this sofa toward the television and adding swivel chairs that can spin around to enjoy the park views. “I created multiple zones for a crowd,” she says.
She helped create a wall-to-wall carpet in a geometric pattern by Spanish designer Lorenzo Castillo. She plucked colors from the room, such as the caramel of the swivel chairs’ upholstery, to use in the pattern. She also designed the leatherette ottoman.
Wall color: Williams Blue; ceiling paint: Creamery White, both Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
A globe on a stand reflects her clients’ love of maps and geography. This model is a 1970s Harvey Probber floor globe with a polished brass base.
Along the back wall, Tharp created a game zone with two long Parisian-style settees that also view the TV. There are two game tables in front of them, one of which is a chess table. “This seating is so cushy and comfortable that people can sleep on it when they have a lot of guests,” Tharp says.
Mixed-media diptych: Silvia Poloto
Along the back wall, Tharp created a game zone with two long Parisian-style settees that also view the TV. There are two game tables in front of them, one of which is a chess table. “This seating is so cushy and comfortable that people can sleep on it when they have a lot of guests,” Tharp says.
Mixed-media diptych: Silvia Poloto
The clients found Tharp after admiring her other work. In particular, the husband had admired this map room. “We call this interior study the map room, and it’s really for him,” Tharp says. “The map wall they’d seen was what made them call us, so we had to give him a map room,” she says with a laugh. The starting point was a celestial ceiling, and Tharp anchored the room in a starburst rug. “These things reference his interest in astronomy without being cliche,” she says.
Tharp designed the room to feel like an embrace. She wrapped the walls in golden-coppery silk. “I chose a shelter-style sofa so that he could lie down, sink in, look up and contemplate,” she says. “I chose this painting above the sofa because it suggests physics, craftsmanship and the world beyond. It’s really open for contemplation and interpretation.”
She custom-designed the secretary desk and wrapped the inside in maps. The inside is big enough for a Mac screen. “This room is not about technology but the tech is there and can be hidden,” Tharp says. Two plaster pieces in lucite display boxes on the left wall represent cityscapes of two of the client’s favorite cities, New York and London.
Ceiling mural: Beth Nicholas
Tharp designed the room to feel like an embrace. She wrapped the walls in golden-coppery silk. “I chose a shelter-style sofa so that he could lie down, sink in, look up and contemplate,” she says. “I chose this painting above the sofa because it suggests physics, craftsmanship and the world beyond. It’s really open for contemplation and interpretation.”
She custom-designed the secretary desk and wrapped the inside in maps. The inside is big enough for a Mac screen. “This room is not about technology but the tech is there and can be hidden,” Tharp says. Two plaster pieces in lucite display boxes on the left wall represent cityscapes of two of the client’s favorite cities, New York and London.
Ceiling mural: Beth Nicholas
“I love a little nook. This was just an odd gap in the wall before, and we made something special out of it,” Tharp says. The homeowner also has a passion for soccer, so she chose a Richard Phibbs photograph of a soccer ball that resembles the moon. And she chose the sconce because it reminded her of a solar eclipse.
In their bedroom, the clients wanted comfortable minimalism. Tharp designed a channel-tufted leather headboard and layered art on the nightstands. Each nightstand also has a 1970s Italian task lamp and plenty of room for beloved books.
“Our firm doesn’t have a signature style,” Tharp says. “Rather, we have a signature way we approach each client. It’s about reflecting the clients and the way they want to live day to day. The first thing they did during the reveal was pick up and admire some of the new books we’d curated for them.”
Wall color: Met Grey, Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
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“Our firm doesn’t have a signature style,” Tharp says. “Rather, we have a signature way we approach each client. It’s about reflecting the clients and the way they want to live day to day. The first thing they did during the reveal was pick up and admire some of the new books we’d curated for them.”
Wall color: Met Grey, Lisa Tharp Colors for ECOS
More on Houzz
Tour more homes
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: A northeast coastal city
Size: 5,000 square feet (465 square meters)
Designer: Lisa Tharp
“This project was all about opening things up to the light and enjoying the spectacular views of a large park,” Tharp says. However, the space off the elevator was dark, had no views and received no natural light.
“We decided to embrace the dark and play with the idea of compression here,” Tharp says. The contrast with the light-filled apartment amps up the drama in the entry experience. To accomplish this, Tharp played off the existing brass elevator doors, covering the walls and wood doors in glossy black. The best surprise is the hand-painted tortoiseshell pattern on the ceiling. “The decorative painter did an amazing job,” Tharp says.
Decorative painting: Arteriors Designer Finishes
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