I DON'T EXACTLY REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE LESCAZE TOWNHOME FROM THE OUTSIDE, but I will never forget the first time I saw the inside. It was truly unforgettable. Stuff! There was so much stuff inside-- I couldn’t see anything but the STUFF. Moving some furniture I began to see the bones of the house. Beneath piles of clutter, god-aweful drapes, and the many layers of paint and wallpaper, there was a spectacularly designed and built home with more potential than you could shake a paint brush and a garbage can at! The lines were gorgeous.  And, the best part was that it had NEVER been renovated…an International Style townhouse virtually untouched since it was designed in 1935. All of the original built-ins were there, the beautifully-considered floorplans, the curved staircase and glass walls. My challenge was to rediscover the wonder of the place. Remove all of the excess stuff, reclaim its original intent, and bask in the glory of an amazing creation that we would call home. So it began....
       I immediately knew that the architect was extraordinary because before this house, I'd never met a floorplan I didn't want to change. But I didn't know the name Lescaze. When I began to research him, I could find very little information. So, Frank and I drove to Syracuse University School of Architecture to go through the 28 linear feet of documents about our new home. Pouring over original drawings, notes, and Architectural Record pages from 1935-37, I fell even more in love with the house and Lescaze's ideas for it: the deceptive simplicity, use of the newest technology and construction to open the home to light, and, contrary to my nature, the lack of extraneous ornament.
     This last concept would become my biggest challenge to date. My idea of a neutral room includes strong accents, textures, bold art. (Just see THE PARLOUR for evidence!) But I had to respect Lescaze's intention, and the movement that art and lighting and texture bring was inherently there already. The design held everything!