Of course, there were other challenges as well—the lighting in particular was case in point. Many pieces had been ordered from overseas, or from around the States, but they were so architecturally unique that finding bulbs that fit proved next to impossible. “Our poor electrician had to scour the city to find options that would fit and also be compatible with dimmers,” Leigh recounts. One iron floor lamp, shipped in from Paris, was entirely rusted on arrival, likely due to contact with seawater. The vendor ended up shipping a new one, but “having already waited six or seven months, plus three more for the new one to arrive, everything just ended up being very, very delayed.”
Despite the challenges, there was a clear vision for the home. “I wanted the condo to be a sanctuary from the busy streets of New York, like a hotel or art gallery that we could lose ourselves in,” reflects the designer, who sourced the furniture, lighting, and art from Belgium, France, Australia, and most everywhere in between. Sourcing considered pieces was something she was passionate about. Her husband? Not so much. “He is very pragmatic and concerned with function, and lacks any sort of vision when it comes to design,” she chuckles. “He would have been happy to walk into RH and buy an entire floor’s worth of merchandise. Don’t get me wrong; I love RH, but copying a catalog, product for product, would certainly have put a damper on my creativity!”
