The notion that the home is the most substantial, ambitious, intimate expression of our identity, taste, and biography has guided me throughout the majority of my career, leading to an eternal quest for discovering the forces and energies behind the interiors of all periods. Today, I have experienced one of those moments when visiting the Gramercy home of interior designer Lucinda Loya who hosted my class for a tour and for a conversation about the concepts that have lead to the design language of this magnificent 4,000 sf space. Set on the ground floor of a former chapel built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style in the 1880s, its immense high vaulted antique ceiling of darkened oak has come to determine the interior scheme, shaping its perception and vocabulary. The love for art, the inspiration from French couture, and the combination of black-white-gold dominate the apartment in this landmark building, which had served as Eric Clapton’s Hazelden rehabilitation center in its recent past. The choice of objects is unorthodox and includes a brocaded bullfighting suit from Spain, along with a chair by Mexico-based Pedro Friedeberg, and chairs by Marcel Wanders, demonstrating an eternal search for the right objects that reflect her own taste. Thank you, Luncinda Loya, for brightening and glamorizing our morning and for sharing the philosophy of your decor. It was fascinating. Photos: Lesley Unruh
