Reviving the home was challenging, and Thea realized early on that the project needed more hands (and paws) on deck than she and her wily orange cat, Louie, could provide. Enter interior designer Lucy Gordon Baird of Studio LGB, whose account of what happened next explains the apartment’s dramatic transformation. “Our initial design meetings were spent poring over art and design books, slowly stitching together a visual language across periods and genres. We gravitated towards thoughtful combinations of shapes, textures, and selective yet impactful, color. Before we even talked about materials or furniture, a sense of casual, urban sophistication naturally emerged that would guide my design choices throughout the project,” says Lucy.
Lucy had no intention of altering the bones of the apartment with its thoughtful layout, high ceilings, original wooden floors, wall paneling, and oversized windows. “I couldn’t have asked for a more quintessential New York City canvas,” she remarks. The heritage hallmarks were souvenirs of the home’s prewar past, but they were also reminders of the person who previously lived there: an elderly Holocaust survivor who Lucy describes as “a fearless, independent spirit” who resided in the building for over 60 years. “We felt her presence and wanted to continue the legacy of her happy residency in the apartment’s next chapter,” she adds. For Lucy, who typically seeks out novel contrasts of old and new, this meant exploring a combination of vintage, turn-of-the-century and contemporary furniture and objects while showcasing Thea’s work throughout.
