GALLERY CHOOSE A GALLERY: The ENTRANCE, LIVING and DINING ROOMS The GARDEN, BEDROOM, and GUEST ROOM

December 21, 1999
Web posted at: 3:35 p.m. EST (2035 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- John Saladino designs furniture, apartments, corporate headquarters and even landscapes. When it comes to his own home -- a converted 1860s Manhattan carriage house -- his decorating philosophy is to bring elements of past aesthetics into the 20th century.

He does this by mixing his own designs with antiques from different periods and places: A 2,000-year-old Roman capital is near an 18th-century French wine-tasting table. In choosing antiques, Saladino says he first looks for "the simplicity of shape."

He says, "I always look for simple geometry. I look for honest surfaces. But sometimes I buy furniture because it's sort of like miniature architecture.

"The house is sort of a compendium. These are fragments of the past of my own life and my late wife's life ... put together like a bouillabaisse."

Take a tour through Saladino's house by clicking through our two galleries. The first takes you through the entrance, living room and dining room. The second focuses on his garden, bedroom and guest room.

CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch contributed to this report.

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