In keeping with Lichtman’s penchant for mixing old and new, the dining room chairs are modern and
masculine with strikingly bowed legs that contrast with the vintage sideboard.
In the living room area, the coffee table is made by the Amish from reclaimed
barn wood stained sable. Disparate decorative items—a single, formal alabaster candelabrum; a lacquered box that holds the
television remote and drink coasters; and an oriental sculpture—live together harmoniously on top of the coffee table, while the wall behind it
displays a tiered spear sculpture that echoes the nearby curtain rail. The mix
of abstract and representational art, modern and antique, formal and humble,
work together in a delicious tension. “I hate for everything to look like it’s all purchased from the same store,” Lichtman says.
The bedroom is, as Lichtman put it, “a shoebox room.” The long, narrow space (ten-and-a-half feet by eighteen feet) would daunt many
a designer. To make matters worse, one of the short walls isn’t straight; it angles back by six inches and has a window that looks onto a
nearby brick wall.
Lichtman solved the problem of the angled wall by hanging a neutral-colored wall-to-wall curtain that squares off that end of the room.
Hung with soft folds from a hospital-style curtain track mounted onto the
ceiling, it covers the ugly window and adds a softening, textured background to
the bed and bedside tables.
To use the length of the room effectively, Lichtman visually and functionally divided it into two. A seating area with a large armoire
designed by Lichtman is at one end. A cowhide rug defines the sitting space and
overlaps the wool and chenille black and gray low-pile rug at the other end,
tying together the two areas.
On the wall opposite the armoire is an iron canopy bed that Lichtman found in
Florida. “It cost more to ship than to buy,” he quipped. But it was worth it. It balances the size of the armoire and makes
the room feel grand; Lichtman left the bed bare of the expected canopy fabric. “It makes me feel enveloped, but it’s still airy,” he says. Narrow, deep bedside tables with silver leaf painted on the legs flank
the bed. They provide additional storage space without taking up a lot of room.
To keep with the masculine, tailored look, and to contrast with the soft folds
of the wall curtain, Lichtman opted for Roman shades on the remaining bedroom
windows. The bedroom palette is neutral with splashes of color and metallic
highlights. The painting next to the bed is gold and silver; there is a
Moroccan leather pillow with metallic accents; and, as a touch of whimsy, a
metal dog called Stay sits under the window beside the armchair. “Metal finishes add good sparkle to a room,” Lichtman advises, adding, “They give life and reflective qualities to any space.”
Through the use of color, mirrors, creative storage, furniture in pleasing
scale, and the right balance of art and objets d’art, Lichtman successfully overcame the challenge of making a tiny apartment
livable and lovely. As he put it, “In a small space you want to notice that it’s beautiful before you notice that it’s small.” 
