5. If you are in the market for English and European antiques, visit Florian Papp, which was

Louis XVI mahogany demilune console with white marble top, c. 1785, by Jean-Phillippe Feuerstein.

established in 1900 by the grandfather of the current owners, siblings William and Melinda Papp. “Each piece here is not only aesthetically beautiful, but it will also be steeped in salient points that a collector looks for whether the period is 19th- or 20th-century, English, European or Asian,” Cullman says. For example, Papp currently has a Louis XVI neoclassical mahogany commode, stamped by S. Bury, and dated 1780. Priced at $58,000, it is an elegant, timeless design that is also an important academic representation of its period.

6. “H.M. Luther carries a diverse selection of fine furniture and decorative items from a wide range of periods and cultures,” says Cullman, who describes Luther’s taste as “atypical for what is in New York, and easy to live with.” The specialties are European and Asian furniture, mirrors, chandeliers and decorative objects from the 17th to 20th centuries. Especially strong, she says, are the selections of Northern European furniture and Japanese bronze vessels. Representative of Luther’s taste is an 18th-century Swedish carved, gilt wood mirror ($49,000). Neoclassical in style, it’s what Luther calls “not a quiet piece, but assertive and complex.”

7. “Don’t miss Betty Jane Bart, a fanciful, idiosyncratic shop with 17th-century Italian frames, painted screens and furniture,” Cullman says. Bart’s offbeat selections range from 17th-century stone carvings to French mannequins and a marquetry floor. What unites these disparate pieces is a certain informal elegance. Nothing is overly refined or excessively refinished, yielding an unusual mix of whimsy and sophistication.

The same could be said for Cullman’s approach to creating livable homes for her clients. She scours the Upper East Side with an eye for quality and originality, yet every selection reflects countless historic sources and significant references. What is astounding about Cullman is how the rooms she designs—elegant, refined and eminently livable rooms—are a reflection of her spirit. As one dealer says, “She is not a jaded designer. She enjoys life to the fullest and her work reflects that joy in all things beautiful.”

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Bobbie Leigh is an Art & Antiques New York correspondent.