Before and after: Manhattan loft makeover

Vegas made minimal changes to broad effect in the dining area.

She replaced the old mix-and-match dining set with a modern table, which the owner brought down from his country house, and uniform chairs, borrowed from a friend.

She also moved the modern long-neck lamp out of the corner and let it dangle over the table like a silver chandelier.

She replaced a pale pastel artwork with a more assertive abstract that picked up the architectural theme visible out the nearby window. The key was exchanging a horizontal canvas for a vertical one to highlight the soaring space.

The final note was a moving a vase of quince branches into the corner. The branches are actually the first thing a visitor sees when they come in and turn toward the living room, which reinforces a feeling of spaciousness, Vegas said.

NEXT: Cleaning up the kitchen