Barney Pressman lived here. (Yes, of Barney’s fame) Alec Baldwin, Garrison Keilor, Faye Dunaway and Michael J. Fox lived here.  Nucky Thompson, of Boardwalk Empire, considered living here and it was the focal point of Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ view from 5th Avenue.  It is the El Dorado, at 300 Central Park West.  It’s ridiculously prestigious given how far north it is, covering the full block from 90th to 91st Street. 30 floors of large, spacious apartments, most with fabulous views of NYC’s coveted Central Park.

While it was comfortably decorated before, the two bedroom apartment needed a fresh contemporary twist to be properly showcased at its $4.5 million price tag.

The living room is a sizable 18′ x 28′. The owners, while living in the apartment, split the room in half with a formal seating area that faced the park view  and comfy seating by the TV.  Great for living perhaps, but not for selling.  The back of a sofa is not the way to greet prospective buyers into the room.  While we agreed that the room could easily support several zones, the better floor plan was one in which the various seating arrangements were open to each other and allowed the buyers to get to the windows without a large sofa blocking their path.

The formal dining room has lovely molding, and also enjoys views of the park thanks to the wide open 10 x 9 foyer.  But a mission-style dining set did not depict glittering evening dinner parties or festive family holiday gatherings.  Also, when  staging a formal dining room, a rug does you no service. It always makes the room feel smaller.  Most people use rugs that are one size smaller than what they should actually put in the space.   Rugs  also become hazardous, especially when you have a room that invites buyers to look UP at its lighting, moldings, coffered ceilings, etc.  and not pay attention to the corners of the area rug.

We added a transitional table, with high-back, tufted upholstered chairs and a gorgeous globe over an abundance of  hydrangeas. This is where the “Less is More” style helps make the room grow and breathe.  The monochromatic artwork of textured circles in white relief  adds a little eye candy to the room without making the walls cave in.  The pattern of  circles emphasizes the beautiful ceiling!

El Dorado kitchens are typically substantial, and this one had been recently renovated.  It just needed a little styling and pops of color.  The island offers extra flat surface for food prep – or a central place for a cup of coffee.   To the right of the kitchen window is a breakfast nook, with a built-in banquette.  We added a new orb light fixture and a piece of art to finish the area.

In the Master Bedroom, we wanted to emphasize the Reservoir views  (how many movies have you seen in which someone is running the 1.58 mile perimeter of the Central Park reservoir?).  Adding a more prominent bed yet keeping a simple, neutral color palette allowed the attention and the focus to be on the views of the park.

Who wouldn’t want to wake up here?