The classic Upper East Side New York interiors of the 1980s hold a vivid place in our collective memory: They were spectacularly gilded, arrayed with 18th-century antiques, and layered in lush patterns. But at the same moment in time, an entirely different—and perhaps inadequately appreciated—aesthetic was taking shape 2,500 miles west in the homes of a generation of wealthy and discreet Southern Californians.
The dining room’s custom table has a patinated-bronze base by Patrice Dangel and a glass top with a gilded edge from Stephen Cavallo/Mirror Fair. The custom dining chairs are in an Atelier Textiles de Prestige fabric, the pendant is by Fortuny, and the circa-1980 rock crystal–and-bronze table lamp by Robert Goossens is from Liz O’Brien.
The Holmby Hills drawing rooms of Betsy Bloomingdale and the interiors of Sunnylands, Walter and Leonore Annenberg’s estate in Rancho Mirage, were sun-splashed and elegant, playful and low-slung. There were pops of hot color—lime, aqua, lemon—and nods to Hollywood Regency style in homes that were as welcoming as they were soigné.
In the sitting room adjacent to the master bedroom, the Venetian plaster walls were hand-painted by Mark Giglio in a pattern inspired by Matisse’s cutouts. The custom sofa in a Zimmer + Rohde fabric is topped with pillows in a Borderline cotton paisley, the ottoman is covered in a J. Samuel wool, and the circa-1750 mirror is from R. Louis Bofferding Decorative & Fine Art. The Josef Frank–style candlestick lamp is from Svenskt Tenn, the swing-arm lamp is by Ann-Morris, Inc., and the custom abaca rug is by Beauvais Carpets.
It is precisely such a spirit that infuses this art-filled Manhattan pied-à-terre. And no wonder: The owners are a couple who have spent most of their lives in Los Angeles mingling with pillars of the region’s old guard, including Ronald and Nancy Reagan. “They’re very international, but there is something quite California about them. They’re willing to take chances,” says designer Brian J. McCarthy, who has worked with the pair for more than 15 years and also designed their capacious main home in Los Angeles.
In the living room of a Park Avenue apartment that was designed by Brian J. McCarthy and renovated by the architect John B. Murray, the sofa, in an Old World Weavers fabric, is topped with a pillow made from a Dior scarf, and a pair of armchairs are in a Christopher Hyland silk. The vintage chair (right) is by André Arbus, the cocktail table is by Ateliers Brugier, the curtains are of a Macondo Silks silk taffeta, and the artwork is by Emil Nolde.
Although the couple, who have enjoyed high-flying careers in diplomatic and legal circles, spend significant time in New York—they serve on a slew of charity boards—they had never before owned an apartment in the city.
“We looked around, casually, for years, but we could never find anything quite right,” says the wife, who concedes that it was she who pushed the issue, while her husband was content to be taken care of by the staff at the Carlyle Hotel during their frequent visits.
For more read Elledecor
