“On my first extended trip to India, I saw several outstanding miniatures in museums and decided that I would pursue collecting them,” Witt says. She acquired almost 20 exceptional Mughal miniatures with Scott’s guidance at various New York auctions.

Aside from the miniatures, Witt has selected several modern paintings. The most imposing, positioned above a couch in the library, is an 1938 Jean Isy de Botton oil-on-canvas of two nudes bathing, typical of the French-American artist’s early realistic storytelling style. More closely related to the rest of the apartment with its many Egyptian inlaid ebony and ivory tables is “Ahmed,” a Helen Katherine Forbes oil-on-canvas portrait of a bearded man wearing a fez. He is in semi-profile with eyes closed and could be a Sufi mystic.

Despite these exquisite antiques, Witt and Scott aimed for a degree of informality in the residence’s design. “It was important to have a dining room where we could gather with family and friends,” says the collector, who also needed a plan that incorporated her Murano glass, clear Scandinavian glass bottles and 18th-century creamware collections. These are displayed on a circa-1825 English William IV mahogany table. To pare down any whiff of formality, Scott designed a banquette instead of chairs for one side of the circa-1910 oval dining table. A spectacular antique, the table is made of Dominican mahogany with contrasting bands of ringwood and ebony. Above the couch and running almost its full length is a square mirror bordered with a frame made from a French 19th-century rug. Guests are also seated in five Biedermeier-style chairs and two late 18th-century Chinese Chippendale chairs, bright red in the chinoiserie style of Brighton Pavilion. A Dutch 18th-century fruitwood and mother-of-pearl tray with ebony inlay surrounded by mahogany and silver is the table’s centerpiece.
 
Like an overture to the Russian symphonies she admires, Witt’s home is a compelling synthesis of various themes. Not strictly Asian, Indian, Egyptian or European, its most alluring aspect is how seamlessly everything floats together. “When I enter my apartment, I see different aspects of my personality and passions,” says Witt. “With David’s help, I can live with all my collections and still be at ease with my nieces, nephews and young son enjoying every space. What is most important to me is that my son is growing up with beautiful and historic art and antiques, and maybe someday he will continue in his mother’s collecting footsteps.”

Bobbie Leigh is an Art & Antiques New York correspondent specializing in Asian art and culture.

INTERIOR DESIGNER DAVID SCOTT'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK
F.J. Hakimian. 212.371.6900. www.fjhakimian.com. Antique Oriental and European carpets.
Han Horse. 212.988.4558. www.thehanhorse.com. 18th- and 19th- century vernacular Chinese furniture.
Far Eastern Antiques. 212.460.5030. www.fareasternantiques.com. Furniture, sculpture, porcelain, pottery.
Yale R. Burge Antiques Inc. 212.838.4005. www.yaleburge.com Furniture, mirrors, lighting.
Cove Landing. 212.288.7597. 18th- and 19th-century English and Continental antiques and decorative arts.
Bernd Goeckler. 212.777.8209. www.bgoecklerantiques.com Continental furniture.
Lee Calicchio. 212.588.0841. www.leecalicchioltd.com. 18th- to 20th century neoclassical furniture.