A kọ́ Nọ́mbà 238 ní ọdún 1866, ó sì ga tó ilẹ̀ márùn-ún lókè cellar kan. Ó ní tó ẹsẹ̀ onígun 4,600 lórí ilẹ̀ tó jẹ́ ẹsẹ̀ 19 ní 100, ojú ilé limestone tí a ṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ tún ṣe, àti elevator tí a fi panẹ́lì ṣe tó ń ṣiṣẹ́ sí gbogbo ìpele. Ẹni tó gbé ibẹ̀ ní àwọn ọdún 1960, Pierre Scapula, ni ó ṣe àkóso ìrísí inú ilé náà; ó jẹ́ oníṣe ilé Paris tí àwọn iṣẹ́ tí wọ́n fi lé e lọ́wọ́ pẹ̀lú ṣe àwọn inú ọkọ̀ ojú omi fún Stavros Niarchos àti àwọn ilé Princess Lee Radziwill ní New York àti Paris. Scapula ni ó ṣe àkópọ̀ àyíká Faransé tí a rí nínú ilé náà lónìí. Lẹ́yìn náà, ilé náà di ibùgbé New York ti Aṣojú Àjọ European Union àkọ́kọ́ sí Àjọ Ìṣọ̀kan Àgbáyé. Ní báyìí, a ti tún un ṣe dé ìpele dídára ilé ìkàwé, ní ẹ̀mí ọ̀rúndún kejìdínlógún.

Nígbà tí o bá wọlé, a kí ọ pẹ̀lú àtẹ̀jáde àwọn yàrá tí ó jẹ́ dandan nínú àṣà ìkọ́lé townhouse ìgbàanì: Yàrá Ìkíni, Grand Salon àti Yàrá Ìyàwòrán.

Lákọ̀ọ́kọ́, o dé Foyer tí ó tóbi bí yàrá kan, èyí tó ń jẹ́ kí elevator wọ gbogbo ilé náà, nígbà tó sì ń dáàbò bo àṣírí àwọn ìpele mìíràn. Níhìn-ín, panẹ́lì náà rọrùn, a sì ṣe é lẹ́yìn Hall Àwọn Ẹ̀ṣọ́ tó wà lẹ́yìn àgbègbè ikọ̀kọ̀ Louis XV ní Versailles. Àpẹẹrẹ ilẹ̀ márbìlì, àpótí bombé, àwọn dígí àti àwọn fitilà ogiri náà sì bá àkókò náà mu. Àpótí aṣọ àlejò àti Yàrá Ìgbọ̀nsẹ̀ Gold àti Onyx, tí a ṣe ní àṣà Rococo alárinrin, ṣí sí i.

Lẹ́yìn náà, o gun àtẹ̀gùn gbígbòòrò, tí àwọn ògiri kò fi pa mọ́ pátápátá, tó sì ń jẹ́ kí ojú lè rí láti ààyè tó wà nísàlẹ̀ sí àwọn dígí àti chandelier kristali ti Grand Salon. Níhìn-ín ni aja tó ga ní ẹsẹ̀ méjìlá àti panẹ́lì àti ibi-ina tí ó jẹ́ ti àṣà Île-de-France tó ti pé ọdún mẹ́ẹ̀dọ́gbọ̀n [300], tí Scapula mú wá láti Faransé. Ibi-ina igi náà ṣì ń ṣiṣẹ́. Dígì ńlá trumeau náà ní àwòrán tí Nicolas Lancret (1690–1742) ya nínú rẹ̀, chandelier kristali àtijọ́ tí a ti sọ di itanna sì wá láti ilé Baroness Albuquerque ní Dakota. Àwọn ilẹ̀kùn Faransé méjì ṣí sí balikoni kan tó ń wo ìdákẹ́jẹ ọgbà náà. Ilẹ̀ Parquet de Versailles, àwọn ohun èlò àtijọ́ àti ètò ohùn tí a fi sínú ilé náà ló parí yàrá àrà ọ̀tọ̀ yìí.

Yàrá Ìyàwòrán wà lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ rẹ̀; Scapula ṣe é bí Salle de Glace, tàbí yàrá dígí, níbi tí ó ti tún àṣà tí ó gbajúmọ̀ ní ọ̀rúndún kejìdínlógún ṣe pẹ̀lú àwọn panẹ́lì tí ìwọ̀n wọn bá ti gidi mu àti àwọn ohun ọ̀ṣọ́ wúrà. Àwọn àpótí ìwé tí a fi mọ́ ogiri, àwọn ohun ìtanmọ́lẹ̀ bàbà doré àti tábìlì ńlá kan ń jẹ́ kí a lè lò ààyè náà gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọ́fíìsì, ilé ìkàwé tàbí ààyè àfikún fún ìgbádùn àwọn àlejò.

Ní ìpele kan lókè, Suite Olórí wà, tí a fi oaku Faransé ṣe panẹ́lì rẹ̀ ní ìparí au cappuccine. Ibi-ina Faransé tí a kó wọlé ni a fi àwòrán ogiri kan bo lókè, àwòrán náà sì ti ju ọgọ́rùn-ún ọdún lọ; ó jẹ́ “Ìkọ́lé Forum Róòmù,” tí olùní ilé 238 àkọ́kọ́ mú padà wá sí New York láti ìrìn-àjò ìgbéyàwó rẹ̀. Àpótí aṣọ méjì tí ènìyàn lè wọ inú rẹ̀ àti ààyè ìpamọ́ tí a fi mọ́ ilé wà níbẹ̀; lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ rẹ̀ sì ni balùwẹ̀ márbìlì Carrara funfun kan, pẹ̀lú agbada fífi ara rọ̀ tó gùn ní ẹsẹ̀ mẹ́fà àti àwọn ìbọ̀nì ìfọ̀ méjì.

Ní ìpele kan náà, ní iwájú ilé náà, ni Yàrá Àlejò wà, tí a ṣe ní àṣà Chambre de Parade kékeré, tí ó sì jẹ́ olókìkí nítorí àwọn aṣọ tí wọ́n fi bo ibùsùn àti panẹ́lì rẹ̀. A fi siliki Scalamandré bo àwọn ògiri, a sì pèsè yàrá náà ní àṣà Louis XV. Balùwẹ̀ tó ní fèrèsé tí ó wà pẹ̀lú yàrá náà ni márbìlì aláwọ̀ ewé ṣe, ó sì ní ìbọ̀nì ìfọ̀ vanity márbìlì aláwọ̀ àlùkò ńlá tí ó ṣọ̀wọ́n. Balùwẹ̀ ìmúra náà sì ní àwọn àpótí aṣọ àti ààyè ìpamọ́ tí a fi sínú ilé.

Ní ìpele tó wà lókè, yàrá ìsun kan tí a ṣe lọ́nà Venetian wà, tó ń wo ọgbà náà, pẹ̀lú ibi-ina, àwọn fèrèsé mẹ́ta tí a lè yí sí inú àti síta, yàrá ìmúra kan tó ní ìbọ̀nì ìfọ̀ funfun àti àwọn ohun èlò àti ẹsẹ̀ wúrà, àpótí aṣọ tí ènìyàn lè wọ inú rẹ̀, àti balùwẹ̀ tí a fi márbìlì onírúurú márùn-ún ṣe. Ní iwájú ilé náà, suite àwọn òṣìṣẹ́ tó ní yàrá méjì àti balùwẹ̀ kan wà; a lè pa á yà kúrò nínú ilé tó kù, elevator sì ń lọ síbẹ̀. Àní níhìn-ín pàápàá, àwọn ohun ìyanu pọ̀: orí ibùsùn náà jẹ́ bàbà tí a dà ní dídára gíga, tí ó sì dà bí ẹni pé ó ti wá láti inú panẹ́lì ilẹ̀kùn òkè ti ojú iwájú àríwá Grand Central Terminal tí a ti wó tipẹ́.

Ní ìkẹyìn, penthouse ìpele karùn-ún, tí a ṣe ní àṣà òde-òní àárín ọ̀rúndún, yàtọ̀ pátápátá sí ìyókù ilé náà.

Built in 1866, Number 238 rises five stories over a cellar. It has approximately 4,600 square feet on a 19 by 100-foot lot, a newly restored limestone-toned facade, and a paneled elevator serving every level. Its interiors were shaped by its 1960s occupant, Pierre Scapula, the Parisian designer whose commissions included yacht interiors for Stavros Niarchos and the New York and Paris homes of Princess Lee Radziwill. Scapula is responsible for the French ambiance we see in the house today. Later, the house became the New York residence of the first European Union Representative to the United Nations. At present it is restored to museum quality standard in the spirit of the eighteenth century.

Upon entering you are greeted by the sequence of rooms mandatory to classic townhouse architecture: Anteroom, Grand Salon and Drawing Room.

First, you arrive at the room-size Foyer, which provides access to the whole house by elevator while assuring privacy to the other floors. Here the paneling is simple, patterned after the Guard Hall outside the Louis XV private suite at Versailles, and the marble flooring pattern, the bombé chest, the mirrors and the sconces are all appropriate to the period. A guest closet and the Gold and Onyx Powder Room, in the flamboyant Rococo style, open off it.

Next, you ascend the wide stairway, which is not fully enclosed by walls and allows a visual connection from the space below to the mirrors and crystal chandelier of the Grand Salon. Here are twelve-foot ceilings and three-hundred-year-old Île-de-France style paneling and a fireplace, both brought from France by Scapula. The woodburning fireplace works. The large mirror trumeau contains a painting by Nicolas Lancret (1690-1742), and the electrified antique crystal chandelier came from the residence of the Baroness Albuquerque in the Dakota. Twin French doors open to a balcony overlooking the tranquility of the garden. Parquet de Versailles flooring, antique furnishing and an integrated sound system complete this exceptional room.

Adjoining is the Drawing Room, styled by Scapula as a Salle de Glace, or mirror room, in which he replicated an eighteenth-century favorite with authentically proportioned panels and gold leaf moldings. Enclosed bookcases, doré bronze lighting fixtures and a large desk allow the space to be used as an office, a library or additional entertaining space.

One floor above is the Primary Suite, paneled in French oak in an au cappuccine finish. The imported French fireplace is topped by a canvas mural more than a hundred years old, "The Construction of the Roman Forum," brought back to New York from his honeymoon by the first owner of 238. There are two walk-in closets and built-in storage, and adjoining is the white Carrara marble bath with a six-foot soaking tub and double sinks.

On the same floor, at the front of the building, is the Guest Room, styled in the manner of a small Chambre de Parade and notable for its bed hangings and paneling. The walls are covered in Scalamandré silk, and the room is furnished in the Louis XV style. The ensuite windowed bath is finished in green marble with a large, rare purple marble vanity sink, and the dressing bath contains closets and built-in storage.

On the floor above is a Venetian decorated bedroom overlooking the garden, with a fireplace, three tilt-and-turn windows, a dressing room with a white vanity sink and gold fixtures and legs, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom finished in five kinds of marble. At the front there is a two-room-and-bath staff suite which can be shut off from the rest of the house and reached by elevator. Even here wonders abound: the headboard is a high-quality bronze casting that now appears to have come from an overdoor panel of the long-demolished north facade of Grand Central Terminal.

At last , the fifth-floor penthouse, done in a mid-century modern style, entirely different from the rest of th