When Maggie Burns of Maggie Richmond Design, her husband, and their two sons set out to find the perfect new home, they reconciled themselves to having to leave Manhattan. But when, after a year, they found their ideal home, it was a 1,600-square-foot duplex on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which Maggie took as a sign that they didn’t have to leave the city after all. Eighteen months of planning and renovating later, Maggie and family had what she calls an escape from the bustle outside: “We wanted the space to feel calming and welcoming, but also more importantly, comfortable and functional for our family.”
The family had some tricky timing to contend with, closing on the duplex in March 2020, just before the world shut down because of COVID-19. Nonetheless, “we got pretty lucky that everything went more or less according to plan,” Maggie says. A gut renovation was part of that plan, as the space hadn’t seen significant updating since the 1960s.
Having two floors was important to Maggie, so that she could entertain downstairs without waking her sons upstairs. Find a similar dining table here.
Curves galore, from the arches in the millwork below the shelves to the round tables, offset the living room’s rectangular shape and gridded doors. Find a similar rug here.
The framed Gucci scarf with an airplane theme in her younger son’s bedroom is one of Maggie’s favorite details.
The exposed ceiling beams are also equal parts good-looking and useful, Maggie explains, as the space’s concrete ceilings meant no new lighting could be put in without them. “We added them in order to house new electrical wiring.”
Thoughtful details include the arches found throughout in millwork. “I read something recently that talked about arches being a trend that would soon become tired, but I couldn’t disagree more!” Maggie says. “Arches have been used in architecture and design for thousands of years for both functional reasons and aesthetics. I love the way the curved edges give a space a classic, historical feel and create a softer look versus the hard edges of a rectangle.”
After such a labor of love and lockdown, Maggie surprises even herself when asked to choose a favorite room—because it’s not in her signature neutral motif. “I am very partial to the powder room downstairs,” she says. “The chinoiserie wallpaper was one of the first things I found for the house, and pairing it with a green floor tile was way out of my comfort zone… I’m so happy with how it turned out.”
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The primary bedroom’s quiet palette is a respite for a designer who works with color all day. Layers of texture, such as the weathered wood bench, the velvety rug, and the quilted coverlet, ensure plenty of visual interest, however.
Above: The chinoiserie wallpaper used in the downstairs powder room was one of Maggie’s first finds for the home.
Right: Arches feature in several rooms, including the primary bathroom.
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