Adam Lippes Transforms NYC Apartment With Gilded Age Style

Adam Lippes has long been part of an elite group of American fashion designers who also curate stylish homes. This tradition includes industry titans like Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren. The designer has transformed several New York residences, sharing a penthouse on lower Fifth Avenue and a duplex on Washington Square Park with his partner, Alexander Farnsworth. Those spaces were defined by soft colors, floral fabrics, and a mix of antique and vintage pieces. The latest project, however, required a different approach to the city lifestyle.

Before the pandemic, Lippes thought he would always live downtown. The industry shutdown forced him to reconsider his living situation. He initially stayed at the Four Seasons hotel while deciding whether to move full-time to the country or return to Manhattan. As his business began to revive, his passion for the city returned. He eventually found a duplex apartment on Fifth Avenue across from the Central Park Zoo.

The building dates back to 1886, originally constructed for a coal baron. At the time of purchase, the interiors were considered among the most sumptuous in the city. The main room features richly carved and gilded wood paneling, a marble-clad fireplace, and heavily ornamented ceilings. The space had been vacant for more than a decade and was in disrepair. Farnsworth recalls seeing the dark, scaffold-covered building in February. Despite the poor conditions, he knew the property was special.

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Lippes was hesitant to take on another renovation. He felt he did not have the energy for such a major project. The mechanicals needed a complete update, and the lower level required a total redo. The most difficult challenge was the main room. He initially thought grand furniture was necessary to fill the space. He filled the apartment with items from global dealers and auction houses. Eventually, the collection became so large it looked like an antiques dealer’s showroom.

Reimagining the Grandeur

Lippes realized his strategy was wrong. He even considered painting the brown wood paneling. He drew inspiration from the Palm Beach house that Stephen Sills designed for Aerin Lauder. He felt he needed the expertise of a designer like Sills or François-Joseph Graf. He got close to making that call, but ultimately decided to execute the vision himself.

The designer reached out to Pilar Solchaga, who had previously worked as his fit model. Solchaga helped him adopt the grandeur of the room while undercutting it with comfort. The team removed many of the original fancy items. They introduced low-slung white slipcovered seating and an oversized animal-print ottoman. A curvy gold sofa with Napoleon III–style trim sits beneath windows fitted with sheer panels embroidered by the same Indian atelier Lippes uses for his dresses.

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Mirrors were inset into the paneling to bounce light around the room. The neo-Egyptian bed from Jonathan Sainsbury and a late-19th-century chandelier found in Paris are among the pieces that remained. The chandelier is six feet tall, but the room’s scale makes it appear much smaller.

While the renovation took place, Lippes’s business continued to thrive. A tabletop line with Zoë de Givenchy and a jewelry collection are also in development.

Lippes is currently working on fitting out the outdoor spaces on the lower level for entertaining. With a growing business and a major renovation ongoing, he acknowledges that he has a lot on his plate. The designer has entered a maximalist era, filling his life and home with texture and history.