The magic carpet has flown full circle over Manhattan and landed at last in front of the East River. The analogy fits because magic is what best characterizes Muriel Brandolini’s interiors. Having known her for nearly 30 years, I’ve followed her work through all its incarnations. An autodidact, Muriel approaches decorating with absolute freedom, turning the rules upside down. She is gutsy and fearless—mixing improbable colors, combining antithetical styles, reinventing the narrative every time. Yet the alchemy always works to perfection. Sutton Place isn’t for everyone; to some it can feel empty and isolated. But Muriel got the glory of being right on the river, of the elegance of the building (a 1920s Rosario Candela with Cross & Cross), and of the sense that time has stood still. It’s an oasis of peace in the middle of hectic Manhattan.