lioness sculpted by, of all people, soul singer Minnie Riperton’s motherin-law. The latter piece, with its retro, near-celebrity association, puts
a grin on Demsey’s face, as does the bold macaroni-and-cheese-yellow
paint enlivening the room around it. ‘It’s a non-New York kind of place
- colourful, sunny, and happy,’ the native Ohioan observes of the rooms
and their palette. ‘This is more what I grew up with: a bit of country in
town.’
Back in the 60s, when the property was owned by actor Montgomery
Clift, the townhouse was four floors of noncommittal pale beige. By the
time Demsey and Monnahan came on the scene a year ago the interiors
had been expertly renovated, but they were painted unrelieved white.
‘Colour was the easiest way to bring in John’s personality,’ the decorator
says. She picked out the entrance hall’s brilliant green - it matches one
that shows up in a painting by his mother-as well as the dining room’s
yellow. For the living room, Monnahan selected lipstick-red, a sultry
shade with a direct connection to Demsey’s profession. ‘John’s in the
glamour business,’ Monnahan says, and that statement explains a lot
about the intricate interiors they have crafted together. In the words
of one visitor when he first got an eyeful of the décor, ‘This would be a
perfect setting for John Steed,’ referring to the suave secret agent on the
60s TV series, The Avengers.
Rather than leaving his work at the office, Demsey happily heads home
to exuberant spaces that reflect it. Though the colourful ground floor of
the home, which opens onto a shady garden, is outfitted as ‘a homage
to my mom,’ Demsey says, the upper floors are a compelling portrait of
one man and his world. The living room’s deep-dish upholstery and low
lighting project a gentleman’s-club atmosphere. His
TOP: The dining room is suffused with warmth and light from yellow painted walls
and the monkey hiding in the fireplace is one from of a large collection
RIGHT: The walls of the study are painted in grey, a Venetian mirror hangs above
the ornate fireplace with a painting by John Clem Clarke in the adjacent alcove
100 Bridge for Design December 2015