An Agent at Home: How Patricia Isen Made Her Space on the Upper East Side

By David Hay | Photos courtesy of @simonuptonphotos . Patty Isen is justifiably proud of her brilliantly decorated, one-of-a-kind apartment on Park Avenue. And why not? Located in her favorite part of the city, the East 60s (the born-and-bred New Yorker grew up at E. 65th and 1st Avenue), the apartment is a testament to her years spent traveling and collecting and the delight she has taken in creating a home that truly reflects the life she’s lived. As she shows me around her home, which was photographed by the much sought-after Simon Upton for a 2019 feature in Elle Decor , she lets me in on how she came to settle here. She readily credits Betsy S. Green, her mother and partner in The Green-Isen Team at Douglas Elliman . A legendary agent, Green (now 91 and still setting up deals) had previously sold seven apartments in the building when she discovered this one, 11 years ago. Isen was in Europe at the time, and so Green called her daughter’s husband to come over and take a look. “She said to him,” says Isen, smiling at this moment in the origin story of her home, “‘If Patty likes the apartment, buy it right away. If she doesn’t—buy it right away.’” Living room. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Many homebuyers can pinpoint the moment when they know they’ve found their forever home. Is it any different for a real estate agent? Isen initially demurs, but upon reflection, it’s very clear what appealed to her when she first walked in and sized up the spacious three-bedroom with 11-foot ceilings and gorgeous views to the north and east. “The floors had this wonderful, aged patina,” says Isen, who left them untouched. “The moment I walked in, it felt like a traditional Parisian apartment.” Dining Room. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Kitchen. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Pantry. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Isen had worked in the fashion business for many years for such names as Calvin Klein and Harper’s Bazaar before becoming a consultant for a number of designer brands and a globe-trotting director of special projects in the home division at Anthropologie. She clearly has developed her own finely tuned sense of style. And much like the painter who requires a particular size and quality of canvas before even picking up a brush, she wanted a home where she could fully express that sensibility. This apartment on Park Avenue—previously owned by investment banker William Saloman until his death at 100—cried out to be re-imagined. “I felt the space right away—its bones spoke to me,” she recalls. “Even though it wasn’t in pristine condition, I could see its future. Immediately.” Indeed, so comfortable was Isen with imagining her future home that she bought the gloriously shaggy, tri-color wool rug that centers the living room before moving in. “I was in Antwerp, and I just knew it’d be perfect,” she says. Best of all, the apartment couldn’t be more centrally located in her part of Manhattan. “I love this neighborhood,” she says. “We’re close to Fleming on 62nd and Viand Cafe. And there’s this Greek food truck up the street on Madison, which we adore. It’s the best area to live in New York, in my opinion.” Hallway. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Library. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Bedroom. (Photo courtesy of Simon Upton) Isen understands that many buyers, including her clients, may not feel quite so sure of themselves in making such big decisions. “I understand that completely,” she says. “I know I’m lucky. I can see potential right away, how creating a particular interior can totally change one’s whole sense of being in the apartment. And, of course, different people want different things from where they live.” And she acknowledges that establishing your personal imprint on a home can take effort, dedication and, yes, time. Isen is also a passionate collector, another reason why patience is a necessary virtue when decorating a home. “When you collect, you meet artists and designers and start to talk to them about how their objects might fit into your space,” she tells me, noting the chandelier over the table and eight sconces around the dining room commissioned from her friend Robert Ogden, the Philadelphia-based lighting designer. She lined the kitchen with elegant Moroccan tile and the walls of the dining room are covered in a moss-colored mohair, with wainscoting to match. What Isen’s apartment reveals most of all is a deep curiosity about the world and a fascination with the unusual and the original. She brings the same curiosity in working with each of her clients to align their desires with a space that speaks to them. “I love the journey,” she says. “Seeing someone else’s vison of living and then working to match that up with reality. It’s never the same. It always teaches me something.” David Hay is a well-known architectural writer and playwright. His stories have been featured in The New York Times , Dwell and New York .