Chic on a Grand Scale

An inside source for fabulous furnishings

Written by Vicky Lowry

Nate Berkus shops here. So do Kelly Wearstler, Robert Couturier, and other A-list decorators. That’s because Center44 in midtown Manhattan is design heaven for furnishings with a past—its 25,000-square-foot showroom is home to some 75 blue-chip dealers selling everything from serious European antiques to the best in midcentury modern. Current standouts include a silvery 1940s cabinet by Dorothy Draper (from Quotient); a 19th-century Irish wood chair with a striking red-leather seat (at Patrick Bavasi); and drop-dead gorgeous Italian chandeliers and lamps from the ’50s and ’60s (IMC-Gallery), courtesy of a pair of Alitalia airline stewards who bring over their glamorous goods whenever they land at JFK.
Center44, 222 E. 44th St., 212-450-7988; center44.com.