The Sotheby’s Showhouse was created with the intention of showing younger collectors that you can mix antiques and modern elements with contemporary pieces to create a space that doesn’t look fuddy duddy.  Actually those are my words not theirs but you get the idea.  I had the pleasure of touring the spaces on Friday and meeting some of the designers but just like any interior design project, they weren’t quite finished so I went back on Saturday to take some photos.

Unlike many show houses that show unrealistic design, the Sotheby’s Showhouse actually shows you how pieces would look in your own home. And because many of the pieces will be up for auction on April 20, 2015, you can actually see what they would look like in your space if you are the winning bidder.  The 13 designed rooms will be open to the public for viewing until April 19, 2015 and when I say rooms, I mean rooms. Architect and designer Trey LaFave created a floorplan of real rooms that feel like an actual home.

The octagonal entry foyer and separate anteroom were a favorite space of everyone who attended and were created by Janine MacMurray and Scott Francis of Area Interior Design. While Sotheby’s created the room with simple crown molding, the designers added the moldings to create more architectural interest and height to the space and painted it all a beautiful slate blue/grey color.

I think they did one of the best jobs integrating antique and modern pieces from Sotheby’s which include classic pieces like a George IV Center Table, a pair of George III Satinwood Pier Tables, a set of four Empire Style Wall Lights, with a pair of George III Giltwood Mirrors,  with a pair of a pair of works by Salvador Dali, a painting by María Louisa Pacheco, drawings by Fairfield Porter, and six screenprints by Sol LeWitt.  The faux flowers from the Flower District that you would never know aren’t real were placed in a silver punchbowl from Tiffany & Co. from 1906. What a great way to use an old silver piece in a new way.

Some of the contemporary pieces they added include the two Arrow ceiling light fixtures from Apparatus, grasscloth wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries, and a wave patterned sisal rug from Stark. I do not know the exact paint color or the origins of the chairs, benches, or cubes but I will try to find out.

Make sure you stop by the Sotheby’s Showhouse at York Avenue and 72nd Street before it ends on April 19th. If you’d like to bid for any of the items used in the showhouse, you can register online or in person for the April 20th auction.

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic.