In a quaint brownstone in Manhattan’s West Village, Lindsay Falconer has created a home for her growing family—one that feels sophisticated yet comfortable, grand but not stuffy. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, but that’s not even the most commendable design aspect of Falconer’s home. (The designer began her career as a Vogue assistant, before going on to work at Daniel Romaldez’s lauded architecture and decorating firm and then launching her own eponymous design practice.) A tour around the space feels even more impressive when you learn that the well-appointed apartment, featuring custom window treatments and a shifting array of Rose Uniacke wall colors, is, in fact, a rental.
Candle sconces from the New Preston, Connecticut antique store, Dawn Hill, flank an antique mirror Falconer found on 1stDibs. An acid-green lamp from Fifi Laughlin in New Orleans is one of many NOLA-sourced touches in a nod to Falconer’s hometown.Photo: Ethan Herrington
“We don’t necessarily know how long we will be in any given apartment, but our family is growing and we want our space to feel like home for the kids,” says Falconer, who, as of this month, is now the mother of two girls. “I think it’s worth the time and money to paint walls, make draperies, and buy significant pieces of furniture and art for our space for the time that we will be here,” she says.
Though Falconer’s lease certainly limited her from implementing those longer-lasting changes she makes on a day-to-day basis at the homes of her clients, she did take advantage of smaller cosmetic upgrades that have a big impact. First was her choice to repaint her white walls a less clinical shade of white. “It may sound crazy, but just changing the tone of the white walls from a very sterile bright white made all of the difference, and created a better backdrop for my art and furnishings, which all have vibrant, glowing colors.” Her shade of choice? “Soft Chamois” by Benjamin Moore.