Curation

Complete home decoration from trade sourcing to final installation.

Curation is the Decor service for a residence that functions but has not yet been resolved. The layout works. The building is right. The space simply does not yet reflect the life and sensibility of the person who lives in it. That gap is what this service closes.

Tier Options

Decor

Objects, furnishings, art, and textiles. Assembled to a standard — not a budget.

Investment Range: Starting at 5% of the property value

Project Duration: 12 - 24 weeks

Scope: Complete home styling with custom elements and without structural work

 

Perfect for:

  • New properties needing a complete and tailored aesthetic
  • Existing spaces requiring a sophisticated aesthetic without construction disruption
  • Homeowners seeking immediate, impactful transformation

Bespoke

Museum-quality curation. Exclusive international sourcing. Ongoing collection stewardship.

A client commissioning a permanent home - typically a $3M+ property - where the objectss in the space are understood as part of the long-term investment in the residence. Clients who understand the difference between buying furnitur and building a collection.

Explore Bespoke

Investment

InvestmentStarting at 5% of property value
Timeline3–4 months
Notes

Lead times for made-to-order pieces are typically 12–20 weeks. Project timeline runs concurrently with procurement once specifications are locked.

In Detail

Every project at this scope begins with a full FF&E specification — a written record of every piece before a single order is placed. This documentation is not administrative overhead. It is the protection against a sofa arriving in the wrong fabric, a rug appearing two inches short, or a fixture being discontinued at delivery. Our specification prevents the vast majority of procurement errors before they occur.

What's Included

Overview:

Full decoration program: furniture, lighting, textiles, art, window treatments, accessories. No structural work. All sourcing, procurement, delivery, and installation managed.

Scope Details:

  • Space planning and furniture layout development
  • Furniture specification and procurement from trade showrooms (D&D Building, Holly Hunt, Kravet, Brunschwig & Fils and others)
  • Secondary market sourcing: auction houses (Doyle, Christie's), 1stDibs, Chairish for specific pieces
  • Custom fabrication: upholstery, drapery, and millwork from vetted New York workshops
  • Lighting specification (fixtures only — for complete lighting systems see Home Improvement)
  • Textile specification: fabric, rugs, window treatments
  • Art curation and placement
  • Accessory sourcing and styling
  • Full procurement management: purchase orders, delivery coordination, storage
  • Professional installation and final placement

The Process

Sourcing Playbook

  • Primary: Trade showrooms — made-to-order from the D&D Building showroom floor and sister showrooms across Manhattan. These are the largest selection of quality residential furnishings available in the US, trade-only.
  • Secondary: Auction houses and secondary market for specific pieces with provenance, patina, or character that new production cannot replicate. Doyle and Christie's for estate material; 1stDibs and Chairish for curated vintage.
  • Fabrication: Vetted New York workshops for custom upholstery, drapery, and millwork. We work with the same fabricators across projects — their consistency is part of the quality control.

What We Don't Do

We do not source from retail — not West Elm, not Restoration Hardware, not Wayfair. The furniture in a Signature Decoration program is made-to-order or individually selected, not pulled from warehouse stock.

Process by Subservice

Decor

5–10%+ of property value3–12 months

Bespoke

Starting at 10% of property value6–12 months
Strategic Brief3–4 weeks

Extended brief development including investment philosophy, provenance preferences, cultural references, legacy intentions. This is a significantly deeper conversation than standard decoration briefing.

Research and Sourcing8–16 weeks

International sourcing trips and remote sourcing. Estate and pre-sale review. Commissioned piece development including artist and craftsperson selection, concept development, contract.

Presentation and Approval2–4 weeks

Curated presentation of all proposed pieces with provenance, condition, and placement rationale. Client review and selection. Confirmation of commissioned work.

Production and Procurement6–18 weeks

Commissioned pieces in production. Purchased pieces in transit. International logistics managed including customs, insurance, and condition reporting.

Installation and Collection Launch1–2 weeks

White-glove installation. Art hanging. Final placement and styling. Collection documentation.

Ongoing StewardshipOngoing

Collection management, acquisition advisory, and curatorial services on a retained or project basis after initial installation.

Ideal For

The Client

A client who has recently moved, is moving, or wants to refresh a space without undertaking construction. New condo buyers who need to furnish from scratch. Existing residents who want to upgrade quality and coherence without disrupting the building's systems.

Not A Fit If

If you need to reconfigure the kitchen, add built-in storage, or address the lighting infrastructure, Signature Decoration is the wrong starting point. See Home Upgrade.

Tier Evolution

Signature Decoration clients often return for Home Upgrade or Home Improvement once they've experienced the result of a curated decoration program and want to extend that quality to the architecture of the space.

Building Requirements

Applicable Architecture

Applies to all building types. Board approval not required — no structural or mechanical work involved. The only constraint is service elevator dimensions for furniture delivery.

Six SubservicesCuration • Bespoke • Upgrade • Improvement • Remodeling • Renovation
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