The late Interior Design legend Mario Buatta passed away a few months away. Buatta was known as the Prince of Chintz for his quintessential use of classic elements such as the traditional print and his maximalist body of work. In his last project, a glamorous duplex located in Manhattan overlooking the East River, the legendary designer left his tasteful mark in every one of the design choices, comfortable, plump seating, sumptuous drapery with dressmaker details, a glorious selection of color, touches of chinoiserie fantasy, and, yes, occasional bursts of flowered chintz.
These days when Interior Design has become somehow light, fast, and with little substance where white seems to be the only color used, it’s inspiring to see a home that really feels like a home. A home that is inviting, cozy and one that feels well lived. Mario brought the apartment back to the glamorous time of the jazzy 1930s. Some of the period details can be seen in the marble-clad master bathroom, a beautiful tour de force with faux marble–painted doors, and the neo-Baroque arch repeated throughout the apartment as doorway openings.
The walls in the living room are glazed in aubergine. “During the day, the deep hue, built up by applying several coats of tinted glaze on a shocking-pink ground, absorbs the dazzling light reflected off the water. By night, it glows in lamplight.” AD
The elegant paneled library
In the kitchen, the ceiling is painted in Breath of Fresh Air by Benjamin Moore. The blue ceiling blends with the blue and white graphic floors.
In the master bedroom, the walls are covered in a green chinoiserie wallpaper by Gracie, and Buatta designed the bed. 
A mirrored vanity in the master bedroom. 
The master bathroom is clad in marble, and the doors are marble-faux painted. The wallpaper in the ceiling is by Osborne & Little.
Photos by Scott Francis for Architectural Digest.
