Thomas Jayne


The residents of this Upper East Side apartment, both devoted collectors of contemporary art, one an art curator, wanted to integrate their pieces into rooms that employed color, rather than the typical gallery style of all-white backgrounds. "I think decoration in the 21st century is analogous to collage," said Jayne. "And the design of this home is somewhat like a collage in the sense of arrangement." The furnishings in this apartment serve as sculptural yet comfortable accessories to the striking artwork. 

Designed by Jayne Design Studio

In jewelbox foyer, photography, paintings and sculpture are combined with a Modernist chest from the 1930s and a Persian carpet.

The artwork in the living room, rather than the expected single large piece over the sofa, is an asymmetrical but balanced arrangement, composed of fine examples from the Minimalist and Pop genres.  From left: a pair of black-and-white prints by Steve Gianakos, Warhol’s silkscreen Jacqueline Kennedy II, and a pair of 1969 grid prints by Sol Lewitt. A Bergamo-upholstered sofa, mid-century coffee table, gilded balustrade floor lamp and a pair of Modernist armchairs sit atop a leather-bound sisal area rug. Serene, solid neutral upholstery tones were chosen to allow the artwork to shine. 

The entrance to the sitting room is framed by a David Hockney lithograph Henry with Tulips, 1976, with an African stool positioned below. The stool is from the Senufo people of West Africa, and the primitive form appears both rustic and modern in its simplicity. At right, gray and yellow striped silk curtains, a sculptural steer skull and a mid-century classic Sansevieria plant form a study in contrasts.

The sitting room is flooded with sunlight, made all the more warm and inviting by the pale gold wall color. Baby Jet by Ed Ruscha, from his Mountains series, hangs above the sofa. Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto’s classic plywood chair No 41 from 1932, which was designed for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Paimio, is a comfortable seating option. Aalto designed the chairs to be lightweight, with the position of the chair slightly reclined to facilitate sunbathing, which was thought to promote good heath, and without upholstery, which made them easier to keep clean. One of Andy Warhol’s Mao prints from 1972, Glenn Ligon’s print Self-Portrait at Nine Years Old (James Brown), and a black-and-white gelatin silver print from the 1970s by Ed Dane propped against the wall complete a fascinating segment of the owner’s collection. A Chinese garden stool and Eileen Grey’s 1927 classic E1027 chrome and glass adjustable table provide spots to rest a drink or a book.

The dining area displays a “blackboard scribble” lithograph by Cy Twombly 8 Odi di Orazio; series 1, 1968 above a mid-century settee. The faux-bois table was purchased from Bunny Williams and John Roselli’s former Upper East Side home and garden boutique Treillage. The chairs are a design by Jean Prouvé.

The bedroom features a suite of John Baldessari Stonehenge prints, with Chinese chests as nightstands, and a pair of Scandinavian modern armchairs.

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