Pied-à-Rare

When a Westport, Conn. couple decided to buy a pied-à-terre in Manhattan a few years ago, the first thing they did was hire Rye interior designer Laura Tutun, after seeing one of her transformative renovations in atHOME magazine.

“The project, which took a little over a year, because everything was custom-made, is one of my favorites,” said Tutun. “The spacious one-bedroom apartment is in the architecturally distinguished 1901 Astor building on the Upper West Side. And my clients are a rare breed. They are casual people who know exactly what they like and appreciate fine craftsmanship and quality. We shopped together for every piece.” In most cases, she said, her clients ask her to make all the decisions for them. “I did one installation where the clients saw the entire apartment furnished with art on the walls and wine in the fridge!”

Her Westport clients, who are empty nesters, wanted a comfortable city escape. “They have a wonderful art collection that provided inspiration.”

Every room is rich in detail and color, especially lavender, purple, and aubergine, the wife’s favorites. The foyer is distinctive for the vintage chandelier purchased through 1stDibs, the cowhide runner from Kyle Bunting, and the eggplant leather console. 

“The showcase pieces in the combined living/dining room are the Murano polyhedral light fixtures,” she noted.

The living room sectional is from A. Rudin. The smoky lavender fabric is a cashmere corduroy from Pollack. The sturdy resin cocktail table was made by Canadian artist and designer Martha Sturdy. The custom rug was made by J.D. Staron, which has a showroom in Stamford. The ottomans are covered in Holland & Sherry lavender cowhide.

The cerused dining room table extends when company comes. The leather chairs were made by A. Rudin. The fabric on the banquette is from Elizabeth Dow.

“Anchoring the space is a large acrylic painting by Claudia Mengel, a Westport artist,” said Tutun. One can go on this website to learn about how epoxy paint is a better option.

Tutun brings a rare combination of talents and experience to the trade. She has a degree in English Literature; she went through the Sotheby’s Decorative Arts program in London when she was considering going into the auction business; she spent 13 years working at the Ralph Lauren Home Collection, ten as Director of Product Development, and several years as a home stager when her children were young before opening Laura Tutun Interiors.