Designer and artist Hayley Sarno’s NYC apartment is the stuff that dreams are made of. When Hayley (whose work we are beyond obsessed with—shop it here) first moved into her Upper East Side abode, she had visions of renovating the spot while simultaneously preserving its bucolic charms, which included 1920s detailing, exposed beams, and rustic pine floors.
Fast-forward two years, and Hayley—with help from interior designer and friend Patrick Mele—has made her vision a reality. The finished space perfectly melds sophisticated old-world sensibility with unexpected modern twists, such as papier-mâché pigeons and a tiger-print bedspread. Hayley was just as adventurous with her color palette (paint and wallpaper generously provided by Farrow & Ball) setting off cool, calming tones with pops of turquoise, vivid oranges, and bright pinks. All of the above formed the perfect backdrop for the custom-framed artwork Simply Framed contributed, including a handful of Hayley's own joyous illustrations. Read on for a mini-tour (all photos by Brittany Ambridge) and then make your way over to domino.com to peep some inspiring before-and-after shots of the transformed space.
Museum much? Visions of grandeur came to life in the living room with a sophisticated salon wall sitting above a trompe l'oeil marble tile floor-covering by Hayley's mom Nancy Lee Carter, plus a real-life plaster column from Corey Grant Tippin to match what’s in frame.
Gallery wall game strong! We framed Hayley's own illustrations (Staffordshire Dog 1, Staffordshire Dog 2, Corinthian Column, Ionic Column, and Doric Column) in our White Gallery Frames and Certificate Frames in Antique Gold, topped off by photog Tim Carter's The Ocean in our Gallery Frame in Natural. We love the technique of combining matted and full-bleed framing on the same wall and still achieving visual harmony.
Hayley knew she wanted a palette of soft blue-grays in the living room, and Farrow & Ball's expert color consultant Erica Silberman helped her select Borrowed Light for the walls and Purbeck Stone for the rustic wood floors. Tim Carter's Blue Lady—custom-framed in our Black Gallery Frame—anchors the scene above the couch.
Really, what would NYC even be without pigeons? Papier-mâché birds by Nancy Lee Carter are but one of the fun and modern details in the space.
Afternoon tea anyone? Hayley and Patrick hunted down a dining room table and chair situation that looks like it might have been in the family for generations, and then accented it with a green vase chock full of handmade paper geraniums à la John Derian. Lovely.
Just because the art is modern, the furniture doesn't have to be. Hayley and Patrick mastered the merger of elegant antiques with more contemporary pieces, and used color to create connection.
What's more old-world? The ornate sconces flanking the luxe bed, or the landline? Either way, we'd like to curl up and have a long convo with a loved one here, for sure. Hayley's whimsical artworks (Pineapple Face—need we say more?—and Fantastique) are framed in our White and Black Gallery Frames.
Sweet somethings—pink roses and a tray of lavish perfumes—lend an aura of worldly and sophisticated romance to the bedroom. And the exotic parrot illustration in a snazzy gold frame doesn't hurt either.
Inspired to give your own space a refresh? We’ve got your walls covered. Go to Simply Framed to get started, and be sure to check out all the photos from Hayley’s gorgeous space on domino.com.
All photographs by Brittany Ambridge.
