Designer Phillip Thomas revamped his sister Caroline's vibrant Upper East Side apartment in the ultimate labor of love.

The splashy library is dressed in Benjamin Moore Aniline Red 1350 paint.

THE CLIENT

As one of the people who knows her best, Phillip Thomas worked closely with his sister to create a space that met her needs as a woman on the go and matched her preppy, joyful vibe (she likes to complement her professional attire by accessorizing with colorful handbags and fun shoes). It wasn’t the first time the siblings had collaborated on Caroline’s elegant prewar apartment; the first iteration happened right after Phillip graduated design school in 2005. “She is a busy legal professional,” Phillip says. “[She has a] very active lifestyle, [and] loves to entertain family and friends in her home.” Over conversations that crept into nights’ late hours, the pair decided to play off a theme that’s vibrant, elegant and happy, displaying a reflection of Caroline’s personality, travels, personal collections and lifestyle.

The library features tiger fabric from Ralph Lauren Home and curtain fabric from Christopher Norman.

THE PROCESS

As the siblings grew, so did their styles—in the design of the first project, the Thomases agreed on beautiful, safer colors and materials. “As time went on, we really wanted to push the envelope with saturated colors,” Phillip says. And so they did with rich colors like pink, yellow and orange, and unconventional mix-matches of patterns, such as the Ralph Lauren Home tiger print stools with Pierre Frey/Boussac pink polka-dot club chairs in the living room.

In the living room, a Global Views mirror takes center stage, and art by Totoy Zamudio (Galeria La Sala, Santiago, Chile) hangs to the left of the fireplace.

THE INSPIRATION

Drawing from their family’s Chilean heritage and their parents’ knack for collecting, the native New Yorkers challenged each other to create a livable yet bold and joyful space (in the most beneficial case of sibling rivalry we’ve ever seen). Caroline’s bubbly and bright character influenced the richness and quirky nature of every space in the home, from the luscious pink library to the comforting yellow living room.

The bedroom’s walls are painted with a Fine Paints of Europe Custom Color, and curtain fabric comes from Casamance.

THE DETAILS

Each room exudes the same eccentric, distinctly Caroline personality, but presents through with various colors and collections. Featuring bergere chairs covered with bright green vinyl by Innovations, the same Ralph Lauren Home tiger fabric on a pillow and stool, floral sofa fabric from Pindler and a stocked bookshelf, the library and its pink walls radiate fun, spunky energy. “Pink is a favorite color, and that raspberry pink just completely envelops you the second you walk into the room,” Phillip says. Across from the pink room sits the living room, complete with colorful hues, idiosyncratic art by Totoy Zamudio from Galeria La Sala in Santiago, Chile, a white, furry Romo sofa cushion and, of course, gorgeous yellow walls. “Our family loves the warmth of yellow in living rooms, and we chose to kick the hue up a notch,” Phillip says. With pink and yellow walls covered, the bedroom adds luxurious aubergine purple walls from Fine Paints of Europe Custom Color to the mix. “I had used that amazing color in a library of another project, and we both just fell completely in love with it!” Phillip says.

THE RESULT

All of the radiant wall colors, distinctive, frivolous artwork and unconventional patterns came together to create a lovely abode exhibiting playfulness and sophistication, just like Caroline. Th e pops of vibrant accessories in her wardrobe are matched with the colorful pieces thoughtfully scattered throughout her home, such as her beautiful green Brochier headboard and peacock-esque Osborne & Little pillow fabric in the living room. Phillip concludes, “It’s a perfect reflection of my sister, who is always joyful, preppy and fun!”

Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White paint covers the kitchen’s detailed ceiling.

DESIGN DETAILS

TYPE
Apartment

LOCATION
Upper East Side

ARCHITECT
Phillip Thomas
phillipthomasinc.com

DESIGNER
Phillip Thomas

VENDORS

ANDREW TEDESCO STUDIOS
Custom grafitti on library white lamp shade
andrewtedesco.com

BENJAMIN MOORE
Library and living room wall paint
benjaminmoore.com

FINE PAINTS OF EUROPE CUSTOM COLOR
Bedroom wall paint
finepaintsofeurope.com

GLOBAL VIEWS
Living room mirror above fireplace
globalviews.com

MANUEL CANOVAS
Fabric
manuelcanovas.com

MATOUK
Bed linens
matouk.com

PAMELA LERNER ANTIQUES
Living room vintage Italian candle sconces
pamelalerner.com

POTTERY BARN
Nightstands
potterybarn.com

QUADRILLE
Bed pillows
quadrillefabrics.com

SCALAMANDRE
Fabric and library bergere back panel
scalamandre.com