Divide and conquer

This Upper East Side apartment is a little jewel. Decorated by Jeffrey Bilhuber of Bilhuber & Associates, it succeeds in being extremely elegant and very comfortable.

The sitting room in the top picture has been divided into two distinct seating areas, but brought together by matching rugs and a pair of painted consoles facing each other, highlighting the basic symmetry, but broken by pretty diversions. (My own attempts at scanning two pages is not an attempt to divide and conquer.)

The hall that leads into this room, and into the dining room has been creatively decorated to enable multi purpose, through usage of a long table, which can be used for work, reading, sitting and even eating, (copying an idea from the late Nan Kempner's apartment, of whom the owner was a friend). Fans of chinoiserie will appreciate the de Gournay wallpaper, and the stools.

The unexpected colours bring a welcome freshness to traditional style furniture.
(Images from House & Garden.)