THEY ASKED FOR DRAMA

Designer Sarah Dray oversees a sparkling transformation of a classic French city apartment.

Sarah Dray is an out-and-out Parisienne. The interior designer was born in the French capital and has lived in traditional Haussmannian apartments ever since she was a child. "The aesthetics of Parisian buildings fascinate me," she says. "I've never seen anything quite so beautiful." Dray initially trained with two preeminent purveyors of French decorative taste.

While in college, she interned in the offices of ELLE DECOR A-List Titan Jacques Garcia. She recalls seeing the iconic designer from afar and noting his bright red socks and green crocodile loafers. She later worked for Isabelle Stanislas, known for her revamping of three staterooms in the Élysée Palace. "It's through her that I really discovered what I like," Dray says. "I adopt a similar contemporary approach within classical settings."

Since founding her firm in 2010, Dray has worked largely under the radar, despite attracting several noteworthy clients. She renovated a townhouse for France's answer to Stephen Colbert, talk show host Laurent Ruquier. Most of her work involves renovations of large-scale Parisian apartments, such as this 2,400-square-foot unit close to Parc Monceau and the Champs-Élysées.