Photographs by Annie Schlechter

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“Rich and sexy”: That was the mandate given to L.A. decorator Kelly Wearstler by the owners of this 4,000-square-foot Tribeca apartment. “They wanted warmth and texture, and I love mixing the raw and the refined.” For this project, she erred on the side of extravagance. The resultant theatrical tableaux, rife with gleaming metallics and playfully proportioned furniture, are partly inspired by Memphis, an eighties Italian design movement that blended Pop Art with Art Deco. Not since rococo goddess Dorothy Draper—known for her exuberant style—has the décor world enjoyed such a high-profile personality. Following stints as a waitress, a Playboy model, and a film art director for So I Married an Ax Murderer, Wearstler started a design business in 1995. Since then, she’s decorated private homes and luxury hotels (including the Viceroy and the Avalon, both owned by her husband, Brad Kor­zen); launched fabric, rug, and tabletop collections; opened a Melrose Avenue flagship for her fashion and accessories lines; and published four books, the newest of which, Rhapsody: Kelly Wearstler, hits stores next month. Where does she find the energy? “My clients,” says Wearstler. “I learn so much from them and then just run it through my filter.”

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