Ledbetter, whose office is located on the building’s first floor…has slowly been introducing contemporary design into the living quarters, which were decorated in a Neoclassic style after being restored in the ‘80s. The result, says Ledbetter, is ‘a comfortable mix of old and new,’ which means modern photography, sculptural vases, and arched windows stripped of heavy draperies juxtaposed with solid, weightier items, such as an original door hand-carved by Italian artisans or a gold-leafed walnut flea-market chair.

’This is our yard, where we come with a drink at the end of the day,’ explains Ledbetter, whose love of minimalism and ‘longing for purity’ have him convinced that life, if it had to, could be scaled down to ‘beautiful wooden floors reflecting light, my two favorite chairs, and no art. All that would be left would be my friend and I, the light and the proportions and the details of the room’.