A Charles Gaines painting and a figurative sculpture by Thomas Houseago join a wall-spanning work by John Armleder at one end of the living and dining space created by architect Lee F. Mindel in his redesign of an Upper East Side apartment. Sofas and armchairs by SheltonMindel are grouped with a Poul Kjærholm daybed around a custom-made cocktail table by Germans Ermičs and Boris Berlin that hosts a Yamaguchi Ryuun woven vessel. The glass and metal end table is a Charlotte Perriand prototype, and the twin side tables are by André Arbus.

With oblique references to history, British artist Thomas Houseago, whose Dave (2005) stands proud in the living room, distorts the human form to create monumental metal sculptures. “You’re never sure if his work is old or new,” reflects Mindel. This bronze debuted at Gagosian London’s “Houseago | Rodin” exhibition in 2021.

At the center of the entertaining space, a pair of SheltonMindel-designed dining tables is surrounded by Autoban chairs from the Future Perfect. A Fred Eversley sculpture in the window at the room’s far end is flanked by Lesley Vance and Rita Ackermann paintings, while a Jos Devriendt floor lamp stands nearby.

To create the living room’s wall-size artwork, the owners of this home, designed by Lee F. Mindel, commissioned Swiss artist John Armleder, whose practice encompasses everything from fragmented disco balls to high-contrast paintings. “It’s nice to have something site-specific that relates to the interior architecture,” says Mindel. This riotous 2021 work by Armleder has colorful drips that echo the piece on a smaller scale.

In the entrance hall, a mirror by Chen Chen & Kai Williams, a John Hogan glass vessel, and a gold-tone metal table by Ma Yansong cast captivating reflections and plays of light; the large painting is by Rashid Johnson, the mixed-media sculpture is by Matthew Monahan, and Markus Amm painted the small work.

Anchoring the wife’s office is a desk by Max Lamb, who also made the chair in front. The high-back slipper chair behind is a 1920s Uno Åhrén design. A Jayson Musson text piece and a work by Beth Campbell are mounted between the windows, and a Woody De Othello ceramic phone sculpture is displayed above an Alex Jackson watercolor. The custom-made rug is by Fort Street Studio.

In one of the bedrooms, Mindel repainted the cabinetry in a sunny Benjamin Moore shade and reupholstered both the sofa and the bed, which is dressed with Matouk linens; the neon artwork is by Rachel Lee Hovnanian, and the text work is by Scott Patt.

A Tala Madani painting overlooks the family room’s bespoke SheltonMindel sectional sofa; the artwork between the windows is by Matthew Monahan, the floor lamp is vintage Tobia Scarpa, and the Haas Brothers conceived the stool.

Misha Kahn created a powder room’s mirror and low table.

A Gaetano Pesce chair perches near the bedroom’s fireplace, while an Arlene Shechet sculpture joins a Markus Amm painting next to the window.

“He’s still a young kid on the block despite being in his early 80s,” says Mindel of Gaetano Pesce, whose playful creations—like this 2017 light fixture—hover between art and design. One of the Italian icon’s psychedelic resin chairs punctuates the primary bedroom.

The gridded structure of an Olafur Eliasson spherical light echoes a Charline von Heyl painting hung next to a vintage Hans Hartl chaise longue in the primary bedroom. The cylindrical floor lamp is by Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen with artist Pieter Vermeersch, and the table lamp is by Jos Devriendt.

Views of Central Park frame a Lesley Vance canvas and a Francis Upritchard sculpture in a New York City apartment designed by Lee F. Mindel.

The living room’s sculptural armchairs originally appeared as part of the Swedish Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. “They wink at the klismos chair,” adds Mindel of the shape. Produced by GA Berg Sweden, the seats were reupholstered in raw linen and a creamy Holland & Sherry alpaca.

A massive collage, made by Rashid Johnson using a variety of materials, including ceramic, mirror, vinyl, enamel, black soap, and wax, provides a striking focal point in the entrance hall. “We wanted to give it enough space to breathe,” says Mindel. Complementing the work are a jardiniere by Francesca DiMattio and John Hogan’s Clearing chair.

A key player on the postwar Los Angeles art scene, Fred Eversley created this translucent resin piece that magnifies the view up Fifth Avenue. “You see the city like you do in a Dutch landscape painting,” notes Mindel.

Mindel sought to evoke classic diners when transforming a former air-conditioning closet in the kitchen into a breakfast nook that features a matching table fabricated by Atelier Prelati.

Bronze figures by South African talent William Kentridge grace the living room mantel, which Mindel devised during the first renovation 20 years ago. “We wanted it to seem like silhouettes were skating across a pond,” he explains. A limestone fireplace and an abstract work by R. H. Quaytman add to the artful composition. “They almost become a single piece of art.”