The nearness of the harbor suggested a shoreline theme for this model apartment. It’s coastal decor with a glamorous, elegant twist.

Proximity to Hempstead Harbor suggested coastal décor for this two-bedroom apartment. But it ended up being a shoreline theme with a decidedly glamorous touch. Safavieh designer Iris Carias brought sea green into the living room with a watercolor-like area rug, framed abstract prints and art glass. An abundance of polished nickel adds to the elegant effect.

Situated in downtown Glen Cove, N.Y., this two-bedroom model apartment at Village Square is not much more than a stone’s throw from a tidal creek that meanders into Long Island Sound.

The proximity to the waterfront, emphasized by the frequent presence of seagulls wheeling overhead, provided natural direction for interior designer Iris Carias, who’s based nearby in Safavieh’s Glen Cove flagship showroom: The decor of this apartment would call to mind the shoreline.

Cape Cod style it’s not. This is coastal décor with a glamorous side—closer to what one would find in the Hamptons or South Florida than New England. Carias used a lot of polished nickel, mirrored surfaces and contemporary silhouettes to elegant effect.

In the living room, Carias brought in sea green with a watercolor-like area rug, framed abstract prints and art glass.

"This apartment is blessed with high ceilings," she notes. So she emphasized verticality by using a high headboard in the main bedroom and, in another decorator’s trick, hung the draperies above the top of the windows, creating a ceiling-to-floor line of fabric. "The window treatments are all custom made," she explains, "to ensure they fit exactly."

In the main bedroom, Carias emphasized the ceiling height with a high headboard and custom window treatments hung well above the windows.

A glamorous statement piece in the bedroom is the contemporary chandelier, an open globe of gilt metal. It’s hung high, again to emphasize the volume of the room.

"I also made the space look larger by using light-colored fabrics," Carias continues. "They contribute to the clean, airy look."

You can’t tell from looking at it, but the entire project was accomplished—custom window treatments and all-at reasonable cost. That was part of Carias’ assignment: The renter needed to be able to replicate the look at Safavieh on a fairly modest budget. Carias succeeded, of course, proving once more that good taste need not be expensive.