A young, international couple in New York hired a French designer to renovate their historic Manhattan home, blending American energy with European charm. The couple, in their late twenties, commissioned Margaux Lafond for the interiors of their 1920s building.
This was the couple’s first time working with an interior designer. They wanted moody interiors to display their growing art collection and to entertain. However, they did not want a space that was too refined or precious. The homeowners have a young child and pets, requiring a place that is both elegant and livable.
Margaux Lafond had been working in New York for a decade when she met the owners. She brought her signature layered approach to the project. Frederick Tang Architects handled the architectural renovation of the landmark building. The homeowners gave Margaux complete creative freedom, making it her most personal project to date.
A Design Philosophy of Texture and Tone
The couple and the designer shared a taste for an organic aesthetic. They did not connect with sophisticated materials. “Something more organic was important to them and to me,” Margaux says. “I like to play with layering different textures, but without using anything too polished, and that approach resonated with them.”
This resulted in a restrained aesthetic with a focus on cooler, blue-green tones and muted shades. The six-storey house includes a newly enlarged basement, which features a darkroom for the homeowner’s photography passion. The ground floor contains the kitchen, dining room, lounge, family room, and a patio. A bar area connects two first-floor parlours, with a terrace at the back.
A Home of Contrasts
The project’s scale was large, but Margaux softened the building’s grandeur by creating connecting “moments” throughout the house. Some spaces are designed for formal hosting, while others have a more casual feel. Imagining guests gathering at the bar admiring the art helped bring the design back to a human scale.
Originally from France, Margaux found the American design environment liberating. She combines European craftsmanship with a more organic American approach. The home features vintage European pieces from the 1950s and 60s alongside contemporary designs by French and American creators. Working in Manhattan, where views can be limited, allowed Margaux to lean into creating a moody atmosphere. “We took advantage of that,” she says. “Instead of trying to make a dark room look brighter, we went all in and created a moodier space.”
The owners are pleased with how their new home, with its mix of vintage and bespoke furniture, differs from their previous place. This is a new-world residence with a distinctly old-world feel.
