In the space of a few months, Rheda Brandt-Brager's penthouse apartment traveled from the early 19th to the early 21st century, without moving an inch.
Well, there was the odd inch here and there -- a ceiling raised, a floor covering simplified.
But, surprising as the transformation is from the former owner's formal, stylized Empire decor to a sleek, bright and witty contemporary look, even more surprising is that many elements in the old decor work equally well in the new.
Work on the apartment, in a 1920s high-rise in Guilford, was truly a labor of love for Ms. Brandt-Brager, a designer and gallery owner who moved to Baltimore from New York last fall and married local attorney Bernard Brager in March. It was a chance to use some cherished items from her previous residences and to incorporate some new pieces into a personal, comfortable home for her new life.
"We both knew we wanted it to be comfortable, but we didn't want it to be complicated," says Ms. Brandt-Brager, sitting on a ++ slightly '50s, slightly futuristic-looking, contemporary sofa by Angelo Donghia. "I didn't want Bernard to feel he couldn't sit on something. . . . We agreed that living in our new space should expand our comforts."
Knowing what you want is an important element in any decorating project, Ms. Brandt-Brager says. "A lot of people don't know what they like, or even what their favorite color is. I always start by asking, 'What is it about this room that dissatisfies you? What comfort is lacking?' Physical and visual comforts are very important."
The couple made few structural changes in the two-story space. They raised the dining room ceiling, removed faux-marble painted columns in the living room, and replaced all the floor treatments to give the spaces a lighter, more modern look.
But they kept the crystal and gilt-arrow light fixture and the brown marble tile floor in the foyer, the mirrored bulkheads in the living room, a Biedermeier-style, bow-front radiator cover in the dining room, the rich dark-wood kitchen cabinets and the black "ostrich skin" walls in the media room.
Today the apartment looks as if it might always have been this way, a unique blend of the sleek and the cozy. It's clear there was a guiding hand, but the apartment doesn't look stiff and "done." It is a textbook on how to bring personal style to a space that already has a distinct look of its own.
