modern family
The family room balances curvaceous white Brazilian chairs with kid-friendly “dirt” brown custom upholstery and leather ottoman/storage tables. The classic millwork of the fireplace surround is countered by a contemporary painting by Michael Kovner. The three-arm lamp is 1950s Italian.
pattern on pattern
At the back of the house, the family room looks down on the garden. Southern light plays off the Gio Ponti chairs and table with reverse painted top, providing reading or games space.
pattern on pattern
Soft geometrics create pattern on pattern via custom textile treatments.
pattern on pattern
An unusual window profile is a Bottomley feature, now set off by the library's 20th-century French ceiling fixture. Chenille upholstery is positioned atop a custom rug.
pattern on pattern
In the kitchen's seating area, a Vladimir Kagan–inspired sofa shape and custom fabric is joined by a vintage table and chairs found in Buenos Aires. Lamp by David Weeks.
island brights
The kitchen cabinetry echoes the classic lines of the reworked mullions and moldings specified by Eric J. Smith throughout. A pair of French 1940s lanterns illuminates the island, topped with blue-glazed lava stone.
A foyer is lit up, figuratively, with a piece by Mark Rembold, found with Spencer Tomkins, who consulted on artwork throughout, and, literally, with a 1930s Jean Perzel ceiling fixture, retrofitted with blue glass. The Macassar ebony credenza is French Art Deco. Sconces, Charles Edwards. Rug from Tai Ping Carpets.
ship shape
A powder-coated spiral staircase by the Old Steel Shoppe leads from the fourth-floor children’s bedrooms to their rooftop play area, making a graphic statement against reflective, reverse painted glass walls by Stanley Schoen. The porthole lights are shiny chrome.
mastering whimsy
Polly Apfelbaum’s Love Street #5 gives the master bedroom a riveting focal point. The bed’s sewn-wool squares dimple in sync with the wall fabric, from Pollack. Night tables and bed are of cerused oak. “Draper” carpet from the Diamond Baratta Collection at Stark.
mastering whimsy
Flowers carried over into the seating area are Warhol-inspired.
Mahogany stools and chairs have childproof woven-vinyl seats.
of

play the blues

Modern art serves as muse in an 1880s townhouse revived by William Diamond and Anthony Baratta
Type: 
Interior Design
Author name: 
DIAMOND BARATTA DESIGN
Type: 
Architecture
Author name: 
ERIC J. SMITH
Type: 
Text
Author name: 
ELIZABETH GAYNOR
Type: 
Photography
Author name: 
PETER MARGONELLI
Type: 
Produced By
Author name: 
BETSY MARX

If the interior spaces of this Upper East Side townhouse read like paintings, it’s no accident. “You can walk into any room and know exactly where to focus,” says William Diamond, just as one experiences a good piece of art. With sure strokes and clear hues, Diamond and design partner Anthony Baratta created crisp, intentional interiors for a four-story, double-wide Victorian that was reproportioned from top to bottom, front to back, and side to side by architect Eric J. Smith. To capitalize on the 1886 structure’s unusually generous scale, its old layout, reimagined in the 1930s by classicist Edward Bottomley, begged opening up for a couple with four energetic boys.

Both Diamond and Baratta have art backgrounds: Diamond’s undergraduate degree in painting is buttressed by Baratta’s in art history. Their style is expressed in radiant color and clean forms. The family room, one of the hubs of the home, features a patterned carpet that recalls Jasper Johns’ work (with deliberate absence of pigment integral to parts of it so the yarn “breathes,” as did Johns’ canvases), diamond-quilted upholstery inspired by Matisse’s harlequin motifs, and square-within-square throw pillows that conjure Josef Albers’ disciplined compositions.

Directly below the family room is the equally convivial, open kitchen, outfitted for cooking en famille, everyday dining and lounging about on an inviting organic sofa and lounge chairs—all interpreted in perfect sky blue accented with sunny orange. Elegant bay windows on both levels stretch the rooms out toward a spacious garden. A more decorous library wrapped in pine paneling is a nod to "grown-up" space. There’s no need for a formal living room.

By the owners’ request, blue is the order of the day, but the designers broke it up with gray suede cloth, warm wood tones, healthy doses of white and a few hot accents. Paralleling the artistic tension between colors is the play of contemporary against classic. Says Baratta, “I love it when a house retains a sense of tradition and then we come in and fuse a very modern look to it.”

Resources: 

William Diamond and Anthony Baratta of Diamond Baratta Design, 270 Lafayette St., NYC 10012; 212.966.8892; diamondbarattadesign.com. Eric J. Smith Architect, 5 Union Square W., 3rd Fl., NYC 10003; 212.334.3993; ericjsmitharchitect.com. Art over the fireplace is “Blue with Boat,” by Michael Kovner. Custom sofa was by De Angelis, 2109 Borden, 6th Fl., Long Island City, NY 11101; 212.348.8225. Sofa fabric is Townsend by Rogers & Goffigon Ltd., 979 Third Ave., Suite 1718, NYC 10022; 212.888.3242. Ottoman was a custom Diamond Baratta Design by JM Upholstery, jmupholstery.com. Ottoman leather was by Teddy and Arthur Edelman of Edelman Leather, Ltd., 979 Third Ave., Suite 207, NYC 10022; 212.751.3339; edelmanleather.com. Quilting was by American Custom Quilting, 3811 31st St., Long Island city, NY 11101; 718.752.0496. Gaivota Armchairs were from Espasso Inc., 38 N. Moore St., NYC 10013; 212.219.0017; espasso.com. Antique Italian 1950 floor lamp was from George Gilpin, georgegilpin.com. Rug is a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Tai Ping Carpets, 860 Broadway, NYC 10003; 212.979.2233; taipingcarpets.com. “Suede Charade,” wall fabric was by Pollack, 979 Third Ave., Suite 1722, NYC 10022; 212.421.8755; pollackassociates.com. Table and chairs are Antique Gio Ponti. Antique vases are from Connoisseur Antiques, connoisseurantiques.com. Family room chair was custom by De Angelis, 2109 Borden, 6th Fl., Long Island City, NY 11101; 212.348.8225. Chair fabric was custom by Lois D. Chernin, 439 County Highway 6, Otego, NY 13825; 607.988.7470. Pillows are a custom Diamond Baratta Design by JM Upholstery, jmupholstery.com. Sofa, club chair and wood armchair were custom by De Angelis, 2109 Borden, 6th Fl., Long Island City, NY 11101; 212.348.8225. Sofa fabric and club chair sofa were custom by Lois D. Chernin, 439 County Highway 6, Otego, NY 13825; 607.988.7470. Coffee table is a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Ron Seff, 979 Third Ave., Suite 421, NYC 10022; 212.935.0970. The side tables were a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Flammang Woodworking, 13-3 Essex Industrial Park, Centerbrook, CT 06409; 860.767.7786. The rug was a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Country Braid House, countrybraidhouse.com. Ceiling fixture is the “Petitot” chandelier from Marvin Alexander Inc., 315 E. 62nd St., NYC 10065; 212.838.2320; marvinalexanderinc.com. Antique table lamps were from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, 30 E. 10th St., NYC 10003; 212.777.8209; bgoecklerantiques.com. Sofa was by Vladimir Kagan for Ralph Pucci International, 44 W. 18th St., Penthouse (12th Fl.) and Galley Nine (9th Fl.), NYC 10011; 212.633.0452; ralphpucci.net. Sofa fabric was custom by Diamond Baratta Design, 270 Lafayette St., NYC 10012; 212.966.8892; diamondbarattadesign.com. Antique chairs and table were from Buenos Aires. Floor lamp was by David Weeks for Ralph Pucci International, 44 W. 18th St., Penthouse (12th Fl.) and Galley Nine (9th Fl.), NYC 10011; 212.633.0452; ralphpucci.net. The antique ceiling fixtures are from John Salibello Antiques, 211 E. 60th St., NYC 10022; 212.838.5767; johnsalibelloantiques.com. Backsplash was by Exquisite Surfaces, 150 E. 58th St., 9th Fl., NYC 10155; 212.355.7990; xsurfaces.com. Island top is glazed lava stone from Catherine Lagot, Artisans de France, 200 Lexington Ave., Suite 410, NYC 10016; 212.213.2470; catherinelagot.com. Stools were custom Diamond Baratta Design by JM Upholstery, jmupholstery.com. Stool fabric was custom woven vinyl by Dualoy Inc., 45 W. 34th St., Suite 811, NYC 10001; 212.736.3360; dualoy.com. Kitchen table was a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Thomas Newman, 225 Garden St., Hoboken, NJ 07030; 201.963.9108; thomasnewman.com. Kitchen table chairs were custom Diamond Baratta Design by JM Upholstery, jmupholsteryinc.com. The chair fabric was custom woven vinyl by Dualoy Inc., 45 W. 34th St., Suite 811, NYC 10001; 212.736.3360; dualoy.com. The table top was reverse painted glass by Stanley Schoen, 1848 2nd Ave., NYC 10128; 212.369.4934. (pages 60–61) Antique sideboard was from Antiqueria Tribeca, 129 Duane St., NYC 10013; 212.227.7500; antiqueria.com. Art over the sideboard by Mark Rembold through Spencer Tomkins (Principal) of Spencer Tomkins Fine Art, Inc., 136 Waverly Place, 17B/C, NYC 10014; 212.366.1122. Antique Jean Perzel ceiling fixture was from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, 30 E. 10th St., NYC 10003; 212.777.8209; bgoecklerantiques.com. Double arm glass ball sconces were from Charles Edwards, charlesedwards.com. Rug was a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Tai Ping Carpets, 860 Broadway, NYC 10003; 212.979.2233; taipingcarpets.com. Walls in stair area were reverse painted glass by Stanley Schoen, 1848 2nd Ave., NYC 10128; 212.369.4934. Portholes were from Nautical Tropical, nauticaltropical.com. The Hudson chair was by Emeco, emeco.net. The stairs were from Old Steel Shoppe. Custom powder coating. Polly Apfelbaum’s “Love Street #5,” was through Spencer Tomkins (Principal) of Spencer Tomkins Fine Art, Inc., 136 Waverly Place, 17B/C, NYC 10014; 212.366.1122. Bed was a custom Diamond Baratta Design by JM Upholstery, jmupholstery.com. Night tables were a custom Diamond Baratta Design by Flammang Woodworking, 13-3 Essex Industrial Park, Centerbrook, CT 06409; 860.767.7786. C.1940s Murano lamps were from Antiqueria Tribeca, 129 Duane St., NYC 10013; 212.227.7500; antiqueria.com. Windows by the sofa were custom flat woven shades. Window and wall fabric was Cavallo Cuadro by Pollack, 979 Third Ave., Suite 1722, NYC 10022; 212.421.8755; pollackassociates.com. Custom needlepoint pillows were by Lois D. Chernin, 439 County Highway 6, Otego, NY 13825; 607.988.7470. Antique floor lamps were from Antiqueria Tribeca, 129 Duane St., NYC 10013; 212.227.7500; antiqueria.com. Carpet is “Draper,” from the Diamond Baratta Collection at Stark Carpet, 979 Third Ave., Suite 1102, NYC 10022; 212.752.9000; starkcarpet.com. Chaise was from Area iD, 262 Elizabeth St., NYC 10012; 212.219.9903; areaid.com. Antique coffee table, part of a pair shown under "pattern on pattern" shots was from Buenos Aires.