“Have fewer things, but better things”

designer
secRets
“Have fewer
things,
but better
things”
SUZANNE RHEINSTEIN ON A PRE WAR APARTMENT IN NE W YORK CIT Y
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Interior design by S u z a n n e R h ei n st ei n Interview by M imi R e ad Photographs by F ra n ç o is D ischi n g er
To create a classic, serene living room in a prewar Manhattan apartment,
designer Suzanne Rheinstein kept color low and tonal. The furniture was
placed with entertaining in mind. “You should never have a room with only
stationary seating,” she says. “It’s really nice to have chairs you can pick up
and move around”—in this case, antique French fauteuils upholstered in Fortuny’s Devine. She re-covered the home​owners’ sofa in Rogers & Goffigon’s
Cervo velvet and used an acrylic Chinese-style coffee table that she designed
and sells in her Los Angeles store, Hollyhock. Painting by Carolyn Carr.
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Mimi Read: This apartment reminds me of the time-
less, well-bred decorating of firms like Parish-Hadley.
I imagine old-guard Upper East Siders with grown
kids living here.
Suzanne Rheinstein: Oh, no. They’re Southerners in
their late thirties. Charlie Daniels is from Greenwood, Virginia, and his wife, Lula Norris, is from
Atlanta. They have two little children: Archer is
three, and baby Lula is only a few months. She’s
the fifth Lula in the family. You understand about
the South, right? Having five generations with the
same name is just something they do.
I never would have expected a young couple. It has
such a settled look, and it’s not about wit, irony, or
any of those ‘youthful’ effects.
You know, they’re traditional, and I love that—I
celebrate that—because so am I. Both of them have
demanding work lives, and they wanted something
classic and wonderful to come home to. At the same
time, it’s really comfortable. They love to entertain,
and there are plenty of places to sit. They make real
fires in the fireplace. They watch TV and have tray
suppers in that library. And Sassie goes all over the
place—Sassie’s their big old Lab. They’ll be adding
to the apartment as they go through life, and everything will fit in easily.
What’s the secret to making rooms that feel this calm
and substantial?
Have beautifully detailed upholstery. In the bookshelves, just put books and don’t merchandise
them. By that I mean don’t put four books up, five
books down, a plate here, a box there—that looks
like a store.
What about furniture?
Have fewer things, but better things. Obviously, it’s
a long process. It’s not 10-minute decorating. But I’ll
tell you what I tell the young people who work for
me: If you buy one good thing a year, in five years,
you’ll have five really good things. Of course, you
have to take the time to learn about quality and
to appreciate it. But it’s worth doing, whether it’s
about gardens or art or furniture or literature.
The living room is beige-on-beige. Was anyone
tempted to add, say, lavender pillows?
Sometimes you need bright color to carry a room,
but color didn’t have to be the story here. They have
furniture that’s interesting, art that’s interesting. You gain a certain calm this way, too, and the
furniture, the art, the shapes of things, the quality of what’s there, they all go together to make a
nuanced whole. Anyway, I’ve never been one to do
‘wow’ rooms. I’m much more about: You’re in the
room, and the more you’re there, the more you
notice how comfortable you are, and you see all the
quiet, thoughtful details. Like on the sisal, it’s kind
of a gray color with a diamond pattern. There’s a
leather border with blind stitching and mitred corners. It’s not just done any old way.
What’s the secret to well-made curtains?
Pay attention to them. I like them simple, but I like
them lined. I usually like about a ⅝-inch border at
the top where it’s gathered or pleated, and I usually
trim the leading edge. I like...not goopy trim, but
something to make it look finished. Sometimes it’s
a folded grosgrain ribbon and sometimes it’s a tape
that may have stripes.
You’ve definitely amped up color in the dining room.
I thought it would be fun to turn the corner and see
this exuberant, beautiful paper with flowers and
birds. It’s by Gracie, and it’s a wonderful blue they
really went for. In the house my husband grew up
in, their dining room had this beautiful old wall­
paper. His father used to make up stories about the
birds flying away at night and where they went. I
thought it would be charming for the children, a
nice way for them to remember special meals.
What’s the little dining anteroom used for?
We envisioned it as a place where they would eat
when they were alone. But it’s actually where they
play dominoes—fiercely, madly. They also love to
play international rummy, which turns anyone
into a squabbling six-year-old. We found the 19th-­
century game table, and the built-in banquette I
designed to fit. I love banquettes, by the way. For
the last five years I’ve been fascinated with European design from the late ’60s and early ’70s, often
in Italian castles. The way they mix old and modern is wonderful. They used a lot of banquettes,
which look great with antiques.
You’ve struck a sweet spot between feminine and
masculine decorating in this apartment. Even with
pink chairs in the master bedroom, the room’s not
too feminine!
That big old comfortable bed, and lots of painted
paneling that are really cupboards—those things
balance out the pink chairs. It’s all about balance.
What’s your favorite creature comfort?
In my first job away from home, I was making $140
a week, and I had my sheets washed and ironed.
But what about saving up for fine furniture?
Sometimes the quotidian is more important than
the big splurge. My favorite quote is by Joan Didion.
She was asked by a writer if it was true that she
used her good silver every day, and she said, ‘Every
day is all there is.’
P r o d u c ed by S a b in e R ot h m a n s t y l ed by O lg a N a im a n
Right: Rheinstein brought the dining room to life with a vibrant, scenic Chinese wallpaper by Gracie. She and the young
homeowners chose fine furnishings “that will see them through their lives,” she says. Rheinstein loves painted pieces
against rich, dark woods, so she paired chalky Gustavian dining chairs with an antique English mahogany table.
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3
1. A dining room alcove is
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used for dessert buffets,
wine tastings, and playing
games. ​2. In the living room,
a Catherine chaise faces deep
back-to-back slipper chairs,
all from Hollyhock. ​3. Soft
colors make the master
bedroom a soothing retreat. ​
4. An 18th-century Italian
mirror and dressing table
are nestled under a bedroom
window. ​5. A Carolyn Carr
painting hangs over the foyer’s French console. Zoffany’s
striped Fusion wallpaper
adds subtle charm. ​6. A grid
of antique engravings hangs
over an Italian canapé in
the living room. ​7. Pears in
an 18th-​century Dutch bowl.
Opposite: Rheinstein gave
the master bedroom a wall of
cabinetry, painted Clay Beige
by Benjamin Moore and made
to resemble paneling. The
ceiling canopy and curtains
of the “beautiful, enveloping
bed” are Chelsea Editions
plain linen; the interior
canopy, Fabricut chintz. Bed
linens are from Leta Austin
Foster Boutique.
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“It’s a great room to come home to after a tired day, when you just want to put your
feet up, have a tray supper, watch TV, and be cozy with your family,” Rheinstein says
of the faux-bois paneled library. Carlyle’s Charles of London sofa bed; Holly­
hock upholstered Racetrack Ottoman. Painting by Carolyn Carr. Opposite:
Rheinstein set up a writing corner in the library’s alcove with the homeowners’
antique English writing table and chair, reupholstered in olive leather from
Jerry Pair. The painting is by Mark Tobey. For more de tail s, see Resources
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