
Architectural innovation
Architectural innovation flourished in New
York City in the 1920s as Art Deco sky-
scrapers dramatically changed the skyline.
Luxury apartment buildings in the same
ornamented style followed suit, shaping Manhattan’s Park
Avenue into one of the most sought-after addresses.
Yet, as architect Stephen Morgan and interior designer
Marshall Watson discovered after unearthing original draw-
ings of a Park Avenue apartment they were restoring, some of
that innovation also led to reinvention. The drawings by famed
architect Emery Roth showed that the prewar apartment had
been designed as a duplex but was scaled back to a simplex,
likely for affordability after the stock market crash in 1929.
“There were many rooms that didn’t make any sense,”
Watson says. “Our job was to try to keep the character of the
Emery Roth style and sensibility and to make this apartment
feel like this was the original, well-thought-out plan.”
64 TH Summer 2025
The apartment’s backstory was fitting for the owner who
was in the midst of a reinvention herself. Starting a new chap-
ter after relocating from the Midwest, she wanted her home to
also enjoy a fresh start. Her goal was to inch it toward contem-
porary in both style and flow. Yet at the same time, she had
held on to refined antiques and vintage pieces from her past.
Watson and fellow interior designer Mercedes Ganes
pushed forward a design that embraced modern, traditional,
and Art Deco styles—a complementary mix to encapsulate the
elegance of the homeowner, the landmark 1929 building, and
the heart of New York City itself. “The sophistication and dash
of glamour that is Manhattan is also a mix of many juxtaposi-
tions and opposite visions,” Watson says. “We are a city that
welcomes energy, eccentricity, and vision.”
The design team first applied their vision to the architec-
ture. They removed dropped ceilings, widened doorways, and
restored doors and windows. Shifting or removing a few walls
made functional use of outmoded spaces, such as servant
quarters. And they found stylish workarounds for things that
couldn’t be changed or moved. A drainpipe in a reconfigured
space that houses a new bar, for instance, integrates into shelv-
ing and elegantly “hides in plain sight,” Ganes says.
Throughout, surfaces, fabrics, and accessories were chosen
for their ability to add depth or, as Watson says, “complexity.”
Walls in some rooms received textured treatments of veneer
plaster with metallic waxes. Burnished-brass accents seem
layered in time. Textiles, such as the bouclé and quilted velvet
of the living room sofa, have a touch-me quality. “New York is
about seeing things close-up, almost as if you’re looking at them
with a magnifying glass because the spaces are not enormous,”
Watson says. “The closer you get, the more interest there is.”
The foyer piques interest with exquisite Art Deco details.
Doors and moldings lacquered black strike a harmonious note
Living room Shades of
blue and white further
the in-the-clouds feel of
this New York City
apartment. Vintage
Italian pieces include
Gigi Radice chairs and
white lotus lamps.
Terrace Cocktails are
enjoyed on one of the
terraces. Previous pages
A mirror-tile wall,
lustrous black marble
floor, and glass-rod
chandeliers sparkle in
the foyer. The mirrors
reflect the front door
upholstered in leather.