Press: Reddington Designs in Print

The answer was soft taupes and golds like the sand, silvery blues and greens like the water and sky, and muted pastel peach like the first moment of sunrise.Creating a warm, welcoming environment represented another huge goal. “Deirdre knew that an apartment like this can be overwhelming,” Carol says. “And she made it very clear from the start that this had to be someplace cozy and comfortable. She’s so warm and welcoming herself, and both Steve and Deirdre are very sentimental people. So, there are a lot of sentimental items in every room. That’s what makes this apartment a home—a very special home.”

Deirdre agrees, adding that the highest compliment anyone can give her is when a guest wants to just sit down in the living room, relax, and enjoy the view. “That makes me feel really good.”

To pull off this most inviting atmosphere, one of Carol’s many tricks was to give the walls special attention, always aiming for warmth and textural interest. In the living room, for example, the flat drywall was hand painted to look like limestone blocks, creating an old world effect. Over in the dining room, Carol had glazed ceramic created, involving a process where porcelain goes onto canvas, which is then crackled, hand glazed, and finally made into panels.

All these design decisions relate back to that “fun stuff,” although occasionally Carol and Deirdre took a good time to a higher level. One example is the blue guest bedroom, fondly nicknamed the Napoleon Room. Carol explains, “People tease Steve that he is Napoleon’s reincarnation, and over the years people have given him all sorts of Napoleon-related gifts. We put all these things in this guest bedroom and created a Napoleon room. The fabric on the bed’s decorative blue pillows is called Bonaparte, and the wall covering is a documentary design from 1835 Paris. So we had a lot of fun with the whole French Napoleon Bonaparte thing.”

Another inside story centers on the design of the dining room. Enormously fond of her often used Versace dinnerware, Deirdre handed a plate to Carol and requested that the entire dining room be done to flatter that plate. Even the rug was custom made to go with the dinnerware. Some might consider this a lot of effort for the good china, but here’s the catch. Deirdre uses any and every excuse to pull out the good stuff. In fact, there is not one space or item in the home that isn’t used and loved. “We really live in the whole house,” Deirdre says, “Although I think my favorite space is the master bedroom and bath.”

Ah, the master suite. Here the Nardis built a private haven. Between a large bedroom overlooking the lake, a luxurious bath, and a small kitchen area complete with mini-fridge, sink, dishwasher, and a cabinet storage, there is little need to leave. “On weekends,” Deirdre adds, “we spend the whole morning up here. We read the paper, make our coffee, and we don’t have to go downstairs at all. It’s our own cozy oasis.”

So, how do the Nardis feel about the move these days? On all accounts they’re pleased. When Stephen and Deirdre sit on their enormous rooftop terrace—a difficult treasure to find in the city—it’s a little piece of heaven. And the couple feels very much at home.

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