Tour DuJour: UES Meets American Revival

by Natasha Wolff | April 3, 2018 2:30 pm

With Melania Trump ushering in a curiously avant-garde period[1] of White House decor, it’s comforting to be swathed in the Camelot-like tapestry that is the home of Francine Coffey. Now on the market for the first time since the mid-1980s, the space is rich in Americana, from presidential busts to eagle statuettes throughout.

Though her 1,425-square-foot one-bedroom is fit for a Madam President, Coffey is an interior designer by trade. Her style, which she calls “Nouveau Federal,” is featured in high patriotic relief in the home’s red, white and blue-green palette and stately physical details.

Francine Coffey’s bedroom

In the living room, fire truck-red walls are complemented classic-white architectural elements, from large French windows flanked by columns to a wainscoted ceiling boasting an oval-shaped molding that recalls the architecture of the Oval Office itself.

Through blue-and-green plaid curtains, the private quarters offer a cozy clubhouse atmosphere with wood herringbone floors, a second fireplace, and a balcony. In the library, Coffey has inscribed a bit of personal history: three Latin phrases in gold that pay tribute to her mother.

Francine Coffey’s living room

In addition to featuring historical vibes, the home honors the tradition of American craftsmanship; while it may aesthetically conjure a Ralph Lauren flagship store, the space features independent American craftsman like Michael Stromar’s sisal carpet, hand-painted on-site to perfectly match the bright red walls, and Texan sculptor David Adickes’s cameo sculptures of eight past presidents.

So, if Melania ever tires of the current White House’s gold curtains and flat-screen TVs, this American revivalist home can be hers for a cool $2,250,000[2].

Endnotes:
  1. avant-garde period: https://twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/980493476751134721
  2. $2,250,000: https://www.bhsusa.com/manhattan/upper-east-side/36-east-69th-street-2ab/coop/18235873

Source URL: https://dujour.com/design/tour-dujour-ues-meets-american-revival-francine-coffey/