Room of the Day: A Meticulous Mix of Styles

McGrath II interior designers Lauren McGrath and mother Suzanne McGrath together have created a bevy of stunning townhouses, country homes and pied-à-terres. When it came time to design her own apartment, Lauren took the reins while staying true to the stylish lessons she had learned along the way.

Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Lauren McGrath and her boyfriend, Chris Lospalluto
Location: The Upper East Side of Manhattan
Size: 325 square feet (30.1 square meters)
Designer: Lauren McGrath of McGrath II

McGrath says that when it comes to sofas and armchairs, she generally prefers traditional styles. “They tend to be more comfortable and lend themselves to all different styles of fabrics,” the designer says. To keep the space from being stuffy, she likes to mix in modern art, midcentury pieces and contemporary accessories. The coffee table is a great example: Based on a midcentury design, this new custom piece is made of wood given a faux finish to mimic a horn inlay.

Floral armchair fabric: Quadrille; brass task lamp: Ralph Lauren Home; coffee table decorative painting: Dean Barger Studios Inc.; art above sofa: Jonas Wood


The club chair covered in a bold floral-patterned fabric was the first item selected for the space. Falling in love with its vibrancy, McGrath was motivated to have the rest of the room’s upholstered furniture covered in a variety of patterns and textures. “A floral pattern lends itself to a large array of complementary patterns,” McGrath says. “Animal print, ikat and stripes all go great with floral.” The designer chose a large sisal rug to balance out the upholstery patterns, noting that a patterned rug would have been too distracting and would have caused too much competition for attention.


The leopard-print fabric on the cushion of the English rolled-arm sofa is thick and durable cotton. McGrath says she selected this material and pattern because it will stand up to her dog as well as the normal wear and tear that a sofa seat cushion receives.

The two still-life photographs to the left of the sofa were created by one of McGrath’s favorite artists, Lucas Blalock. “He takes random items and rearranges them and distorts them in a way that it’s difficult to know exactly what you’re looking at, but you’re still drawn to it,” McGrath says. “The photograph on top is of a bunch of shrimp.”


A 17th-century antique side table helps satisfy a design maxim that both McGrath and her mother hold. “We believe that every room should always have at least one antique piece, no matter the style of the room. It adds a sense of history and timelessness that permeates a space,” McGrath says.

The blue table lamp atop the side table was handmade by ceramist Christopher Spitzmiller. The icy blue color was inspired by the similar blue shade in the floral-patterned fabric covering the club chair.

Portrait: Kim McCarty


Since the living room is the largest room in the apartment, and the space is used most for hosting company, McGrath wanted to include as many seating options as was feasible. The lavender slipper chairs were selected for their dimensions and silhouette. “Slipper chairs aren’t very deep, so they are a great way to add additional seating without taking up too much room,” the designer says. “One often sees them in front of fireplaces for this very reason.”

Browse a collection of great seating options for near the fireplace


The original wood-burning fireplace helps keep the room warm during New York’s cold winter nights. The gilded mirror above the fireplace once belonged to McGrath’s grandparents. The Pop Art photograph to the left of the fireplace was created by Los Angeles photographer John Houck. The scene is completed with a pair of purple orchids on the mantel.

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