A stylish Upper East Side apartment previously belonging to legendary performer Fred Astaire has recently come to market for $3.99 million—and according to interior designer Garrow Kedigian, it even features an unexpected nod to the late Hollywood icon. In a 2013 interview with House Beautiful, Kedigian, who purchased the 2,000-square-foot unit for $2.3 million in 2012, explained that he refashioned Astaire’s curtains into an article of furniture. “On the dining room banquette, we reused the ancient velvet that still hung at these windows when I moved in,” he said. “It’s a conversation starter at parties to tell guests they’re sitting on Fred Astaire’s curtains.”
In addition to the dining room and the charming eat-in kitchen, which boasts glass-fronted wooden cabinetry and marble countertops, the home has five main rooms, totaling seven—hence the “classic seven” nickname given to units with this particular layout. The prewar residence has tall ceilings, and French doors that open out onto the building’s only Juliet balcony; building and flooring materials have all been substantially upgraded under Kedigian’s ownership.
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The living room is expansive, and anchored by a grand wood-burning fireplace on the west wall. Other rooms include a den/guest room with floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves and a maid’s room; there is also a wet bar, an in-unit washer-dryer, and a butler’s pantry. There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms total. Building amenities include a bike room, a private storage unit, and a shared laundry room.
According to Kedigian, the 1906 unit initially caught his attention for its distinct floor plan, which he told House Beautiful felt very “Parisian.” It was only later, during his co-op board interview, that he learned about the apartment’s star-studded past. “The owners before me, who purchased the place from him, had hardly changed a thing,” he said. “It was a wreck.… White shag carpeting covered the parquet!”
