Page 93 of The Silver Fox Brother

"We'll need layered lighting solutions. Ambient, task, and accent. The windows face west, so we're getting direct sun from about 2pm on. That affects material selection, fabric choices, even paintcolor."

Maya appears from one of the back rooms.

"Ceiling height is nine feet, two inches. Consistent throughout."

"Good. That gives us flexibility for fixtures." Winter moves toward the bedroom spaces, and I find myself following at a distance.

She stops in what will be the master bedroom, turning slowly in the center of the room. Her eyes track the walls, the window placement, the door opening. She's calculating something, running through possibilities in her head.

"The bed wall should be here," she says, pointing to the wall opposite the windows.

"That puts the natural light at your feet when you wake up rather than directly in your face. More civilized."

Claudia laughs. "Spoken like someone who values their morning coffee before conversation."

Winter almost smiles. "You know me too well."

She raises her camera and takes several shots of the space from different angles. Then she walks to the window and looks out.

I realize I've been standing in the doorway watching her for the past three minutes.

She turns and sees me, one eyebrow raising slightly.

"Enjoying the show, Mr. Sterling?"

I push off the doorframe.

"Observing the process."

"And?"

"Thorough."

"That's the job."

I cross into the room.

"Thoughts so far?"

Winter gestures around the space.

"The bones are excellent. Good proportions, strong sight lines, natural light in all the right places. The challenge will be making it feel warm rather than sterile. High-end buyers want luxury, but they also want to feel like they could actually live here."

"And you can do that?"

She meets my look directly.

"That's why you hired me."

Fair point.

"Walk me through your preliminary concept," I say.

Winter pulls out her phone and opens a note file.

"For the two-bedroom, I'm thinking modern coastal. Clean lines, neutral palette with navy and warm wood accents. Nothing too trendy—this needs to feel timeless. Custom millwork in the entry to create storage without sacrificing the open feel. Kitchen will be white oak and marble, integrated appliances to keep the lines clean."

"Coastal feels limiting for a Tribeca property."