A '40s crystal console and an arched mirror framed with blue glass sparkle in the sunny foyer of interior designer Timothy Whealon's Fifth Avenue home; a painted geometric floor anchors the elegance.

Tinted lights transform the white walls of style maven Cynthia Rowley's New York loft into Popsicle-hued canvases; playful art and a 1960s leather chair continue the Pop Art vibe. Photographer: Joshua Mchugh

The opulent stucco walls and inlaid marble floor of Donatella Versace's Milan entrance hall are by the firm of Renzo Mongiardino. Photographer: Simon Upton

A gold-leafed ceiling, hand-painted Gracie wallpaper, and a walnut-and-ash herringbone floor add sophisticated character to the vestibule of a Manhattan apartment by Brian J. McCarthy; the console is 18th century, and the bench is by Nancy Corzine. hotographer: William Waldron

Fox-Nahem Design mixes striking midcentury lounge chairs from Donzella with contemporary art in the two-story entry of a Southampton, New York, beach house; the photographs are by Rineke Dijkstra, and the vintage shell chandelier is by Verner Panton. Photographer: Pieter Estersohn

This article was featured in the December 2008 issue.