Lee Radziwill—the late socialite, interior designer, and sister to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—once told ELLE Decor: “I’ve never had a place that didn’t have fantastic light.” A peek inside her former Upper East Side co-op reveals that this duplex was no exception.
Radziwill’s former home at 969 Fifth Avenue was most recently owned by philanthropist Suzanne von Liebig, who purchased it for $7.6 million when it was last on the market over 20 years ago, according listing broker Adam Modlin of Modlin Group. It was recently listed for just under $17 million. In a report from The Real Deal, Modlin calls the 4,600-square-foot duplex with views of both Central Park and Fifth Ave “a rare gem,” and praised von Liebig’s maintenance of the space, which included a paint and flooring refresh prior to listing.
The duplex is on the fifth and six floors of a 12-unit prewar building between East 77th and East 78th streets, The Real Deal reports. With that placement comes the expected perks—24/7 doormen, a private elevator, private storage—and more elusive features, like wood paneled library that feels more European chateau than metropolitan apartment.
The foyer combines sleek and spare checkerboard floor tiling and white-washed walls with more intricate, gold-accented design elements
The apartment includes three bedrooms, four baths, and an invitingly informal eat-in kitchen. Rich, dark woodwork and cheerful yellow fabric accents are common through lines. With the Metropolitan Museum of Art less than four blocks away and Central Park as a humble 843-acre backyard, this home includes built-in access to culture and recreation that any New Yorker would covet.
The dining room features a statement wallpaper which correlates to the yellow-lined china cabinet and carpet (matching that on the foyer staircase).
Although Radziwill was not the most recent owner, photos make it easy to infer both the reasons she was drawn to the space, and the influence she left on its design. The wallpaper in the dining room is quintessentially Radziwill, who had an affinity for decking her walls in both Paris and New York with uniquely patterned fabrics, and favored chinoiserie and Indian art motifs.
The spacious primary bedroom offers plenty of room for additional seating, park views, and ample morning light.
The crown molding and sun-dappled lighting—made possible by a surplus of windows looking out into treetops—give the space a subtle Parisian ambiance, another quality Radziwill valued. “When New York gets too stressful, I know it’s time to come to Paris,” she told ELLE Decor. In addition to several Manhattan homes, she also owned a balconied Paris flat near the Jardins du Ranelagh.
The duplex is listed at $16.9 million with Adam D. Modlin of Modlin Group.
Grace McCarty is a freelance Associate Digital Editor at ELLE Decor, where she covers design trends, shopping, and culture. She previously held a staff position at SELF Magazine, where she focused on beauty, style, and wellness. Her work has also appeared in Glamour and Parade.