P e n n y D r u e B a i r D

Like mother, like daughter, as the saying goes. So when it came time for a young

wife and her husband to outfit their new Manhattan residence, who did they call?

Her mother’s designer. Some things in life just needn’t be over-thought. Photography by Durston Saylor

and

he eclectic living room furnishings reflect what the designer calls “the new french interior.”T

’ve worked with her mom for 30 years,” exclaims interior designer Penny Drue Baird. “We’ve done three homes together! They’re wonderful clients.”

The young couple (she’s in real estate, he’s in finance) wanted something singular for the new Lexington Avenue home, but also something familiar, and they knew Baird could create just that. But first things first: the apartment had to be completely reorganized. “The layout was con-voluted,” explains the designer. “There were lots of tiny rooms, so we reconfigured everything, and made the original library into the master bedroom, which is perfect because it’s got a fabulous fireplace.” Baird also placed the kids’ rooms more to the back of the apartment, though they’re still within easy reach of the parents (the couple just welcomed twin girls).

“The owners were very involved in the design process, and we shopped together in Paris,” continues the designer. (A perk of hiring Penny: she’s the ultimate navigator of the marché aux puces.) “But they also let me be creative and take chances. Their flexibility and open-mindedness re-ally works to their benefit, since it allows for new ideas.” Like installing French restaurant doors at the dining room’s entrance. Or like buying old Louis Vuitton suitcases on eBay, stripping off the leather and upholstering a bathroom van-ity. “I’d never done that before,” Baird says with a laugh.

With a new generation of daughters growing up under the designer’s spell, one can only wonder how the master of Parisian style will be reimagining French interiors as the girls grow into adulthood.

n the master, traditional elements— passementerie and lacquer—pair easily with modern lucite and mirrored pieces.Iemore

photos

Penny Drue Baird’s second book, The New French Interior, was published by Monacelli this September.