There’s always something surprising about young people who choose to live in an unapologetically old-fashioned environment—like artist Margaret Lee and gallerist Oliver Newton who acquired this modest apartment on decidedly uptown Sutton Place. After gutting the space, we painted the walls olive green and grayish blue as a backdrop for idiosyncratic auction finds, including a red velvet sofa that once graced an old-world Roman hotel. An original fireplace and an estate sale carpet buoy the traditional ambience, while a pair of Mario Bellini lounge chairs and a midcentury turquoise Italian pulley light keep the composition from feeling démodé. A formidable sculpture by Aria Dean sends the same message: this isn’t your grandmother’s Sutton Place.
