A timeless, classic-modern aesthetic pervades the second iteration of Stephen Sills and, then partner, James Huniford’s Manhattan penthouse apartment in the 1990s. Atmospheric canvas covered walls, delicately stenciled to suggest tile work from the Middle Ages, is crowned by a plaster dado inspired by a Hellenistic Greek temple - a concept carried over from the original decoration of the apartment, which sets the stage for a collection of pedigreed furniture and blue chip art. * The seating arrangement at one end of the living room features several original Jean-Michel Frank designs: two shagreen-covered cubic benches with silk velvet cushions, a leather chair and an alabaster column lamp with its original shade. Against the back wall hangs a painting by Christian Bérard, previously owned by Christian Dior, above a Sills-designed button-back banquette placed before a Eugène Printz rosewood table. The wool portieres framing the opening to the entrance hall, and the Ernest Boiceau tapestry for Tate and Hall from the 1920s hanging above the sofa, imbues the space with a luxurious cocooned ambiance, and provides a softening counterpoint to the rigid lines of the modern furniture. * At the opposite end of the living room a shagreen-covered recamier sets before the window next to a parchment-covered side table holding an alabaster column lamp, all by JM Frank. Above the vignette hangs a work by Cy Twombly from 1957 while Coup Chimérique, a bronze sculpture by Jean Arp from 1947, introduces a biomorphic presence. * @stephensillsassociates #stephensills @james.huniford.design #jameshuniford #jeanmichelfrank #eugeneprintz #ernestboiceau #christianberard #christianbérard #jeanarp #cytwombly #classicmodern #iconicdesign #shagreen #luxematerials #hautemoderne #modernfrench #americanchic #classichic #timelessdesign #livingwithart #theartoftheroom #interiordesign #newyorkstyle https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs8lE5LFqo0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vc00sr57brqu