Upper West Side Prewar Classic Seven
For this prewar Classic Seven on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Tara McCauley reimagined a long-term rental for a family of five who loved their home but felt it needed a more intentional point of view. The goal was to make it feel like a fully realized, personal space without undertaking major renovation.
In the main living area, one room that functions as living room, dining room, entry hall, and play zone, the clients wanted to keep several beloved pieces, including a comfortable worn-in leather sofa, yellow patterned valances, and the Oushak rug that ultimately drove the project’s palette. New elements like grasscloth, custom lighting, and color-forward furniture add structure and warmth while still accommodating the daily orbit of three young kids.
The home office received the biggest transformation with custom grasscloth-wrapped, lacquered his-and-hers desks and a Voutsa marbleized wallpaper on the ceiling, which draws the eye upward. An antique Chinese Art Deco rug grounds the jewel box space. In the kitchen, a Pierre Frey window treatment ties the color story together and acts as a visual bridge between the two main zones of the home.
The result is a “Forever, For Now” apartment; thoughtful, layered, and comfortable, designed to evolve along with the family while honoring the lived-in ease of a rental that has truly become home.
In the main living area, one room that functions as living room, dining room, entry hall, and play zone, the clients wanted to keep several beloved pieces, including a comfortable worn-in leather sofa, yellow patterned valances, and the Oushak rug that ultimately drove the project’s palette. New elements like grasscloth, custom lighting, and color-forward furniture add structure and warmth while still accommodating the daily orbit of three young kids.
The home office received the biggest transformation with custom grasscloth-wrapped, lacquered his-and-hers desks and a Voutsa marbleized wallpaper on the ceiling, which draws the eye upward. An antique Chinese Art Deco rug grounds the jewel box space. In the kitchen, a Pierre Frey window treatment ties the color story together and acts as a visual bridge between the two main zones of the home.
The result is a “Forever, For Now” apartment; thoughtful, layered, and comfortable, designed to evolve along with the family while honoring the lived-in ease of a rental that has truly become home.
