November / December 2011

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2011

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A custom Lucite bookshelf, suspended by sparkling brass rods, divides the foyer from the living area without obstructing natural light or movement. sked to decorate a high-rise in Manhattan House, an elite residence on New York City’s Upper East Side, the celebrated Celerie Kemble set about creating “a tranquil, but feminine” oasis. Famous for her Palm Beach–inspired style, pairing casual elegance with whimsical flourishes, Kemble designed a home fit for a growing family, but with a single girl’s creature comforts. Throughout the apartment, Kemble maximized space without sacrificing personality. By painting horizontal stripes on the walls of the entryway and crowing the space with an outsize starburst light fixture, she provided a sense of expansiveness in the narrow space. To neatly divide the foyer from the living area without obstructing light or movement, she commissioned a custom Lucite bookshelf suspended in midair by sparkling brass rods. The subtle palette of sand, ecru, and pale pink with bright bursts of peacock blue and her signature shade, chartreuse, creates a vivid color scheme that invigorates without overpowering. Kemble kept the home’s largest space—the living and dining area— feeling airy and serene by capitalizing on its natural light and views of Manhattan. “I wanted to create a pretty haze,” she says. “New York is such a bold city. We wanted to offset that with colors that tempered the senses.” The home’s most daring colors and patterns are reserved for its tightest quarters: bedrooms The living area’s subtle palette is punctuated by dramatic bursts of black. The pair of alabaster lamps is from Donovan & Gray, and the matching lacquered end tables are custom pieces by Kemble Interiors. and bathrooms that are alive with delightful surprises, such as striped ceilings and vivid accent walls. Indeed, each of the condo’s three bedrooms is a marvel of individuality. The master, with its pale gray Farrow & Ball wallpaper, is awash with exotic materials and Eastern influences. The children’s room, with its thick carpet and fringed curtains, is a playful hideaway. And the guest bedroom, which doubles as a den and media room, is partyready with its shag carpeting and mirrored cocktail tables. Though presented with a blank slate in need of ready-made decor, Kemble created a home of character and charm. With views of Manhattan thronging below, the apartment “works well for entertaining,” she says, but is “soft and cozy at every turn.” L 2011 NOVEMBER • 120 Lonny NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2011 DECEMBER Lonny 121