A
successful lobby should be neither showy nor
gloomy nor trite; in a grand building it must be imbued
with functionality, durability, grace and a certain cheerful
sense of authority. Paula Caravelli, commissioned to
redecorate the lobby of a 12-story early 20th century
luxury building designed by Pickering & Walker, has
achieved all these qualities.
The lobby���s previous incarnation
endured for some thirty years
before residents opted for a
new arrival. Caravelli has risen
beautifully to the challenge,
lightening both the palette and
the range of furniture to create
what she calls a more modern
sense of ���refined tranquility.���
Her pale, shimmering palette
consists of beige, mauve and
pale green, brightly accented
with gold and bronze, deepened
with the occasional piece of fine rosewood or mahogany
furniture.
The lobby���s shell, is, of course, Greek Revival, with
finely elaborated cornices, niches, pilasters and wall
panels. Caravelli chose to treat these potentially heavy
architectural details with a light hand, tinting the walls a
white that is just barely beige. In the center of the lobby
HYLAND