The Fun Zone

When Randy Rubin looks around her apartment, she sees herself and her husband, Craig, in so many details. There's the sassy painting of a woman's leg in a high heel, the collection of candy-colored Buddhas, and a life-size, green plastic dog. "We love the elements of surprise and humor," Randy says.

The Rubins, who founded Crypton Super Fabrics in their home state of Michigan, spend about one third of the year in New York City on business, so they bought this three-bedroom apartment as a pied-à-terre. The city views never stop wowing them. "When I walk into our apartment, I can't help but smile," Randy says. "It's bright—it's New York."

But the space was missing a significant something: their stamp. They wanted a home that was "incredibly sophisticated but still cool for my grandchildren," Randy says. They needed a professional space to meet with colleagues, but also a kid-friendly place.

Although they work in the design business, the Rubins felt as if their schedules required that they hire a decorator. At a party, the Rubins connected with designer Ghislaine Viñas. "It was like a love story," Randy says. "She was so cheery and open—her energy was in sync with ours. She's creative and not stuffy—like us."

Within a couple of weeks, Ghislaine presented the Rubins with her vision of a glamorous, contemporary space that didn't take itself too seriously. The three met frequently over the course of a year; Ghislaine—with the help of her associates, Katherine Hammond and Richard Rahn.

To create a flexible live/work/entertaining space, Ghislaine eliminated a wall between the office and the living-and-dining area, creating one open room, and used rugs to define each function. She chose furniture that could work in a variety of situations, such as a glass-topped table that goes smoothly from conference to dinner party, and Jetsons-style orange armchairs that appeal to clients and children alike. And, of course, virtually all the fabrics are from the Rubins' company and are resistant to odors, moisture, bacteria, and stains: Whether confronted by adults with red wine or by children with Magic Markers, the home is definitely child- and adult-friendly.

Because the Crypton upholstery is stain- and moisture-resistant, which allowed interior designer Ghislaine Viñas to get away with a white sofa from M2L in a home with both kids and a dog. The armchairs are from B&B Italia. The coffee table is by Camila Vega for Dune; the side table, Eva Zeisel.

Ghislaine and her associates started with color schemes, then segued to furniture and, finally, accessories. With little free time, the Rubins made decisions instantly. "They would either think something was amazing or hate it, which made the process easy," Ghislaine says.

The Rubins loved her way of injecting youthful energy into rooms with intense color, as well as her use of bold sculptural furniture and lighting. But there were misses, too. "Sometimes, she got too contemporary for us," Randy says, laughing about a deer-head sculpture that was not their style. But Ghislaine always had backup options.

For a more casual look in this room, Ghislaine replaced the apartment's dark cherrywood floors with pale maple floorboards. Lighter colored flooring makes a room appear bigger and brighter, she says.

The frosted-glass doors on an adjustable shelving unit hide pantry clutter. A high, narrow table paired with two stools creates a simple breakfast nook with spectacular city views.

The Rubins wanted a kid-friendly space so they could "brainwash" their grandchildren into loving the couple's favorite city.

In the granddaughters' bedroom, the designer went all out with intense pinks, oranges, and reds—then, to keep the colors from overwhelming the room, made the bedding and two walls bright white.

The upholstered headboard in the guest room begins at floor level, rises up the wall three feet, and runs the length of the room; the mattress is centered on a low platform. Frames display Crypton's first fabric samples, created in 1993.

In the Rubins' master bedroom, Ghislaine contrived her version of a 1970s backstage dressing room with a mirror framed in white and surrounded by square lights fitted with chromed bulbs. A simple canary yellow resin countertop bridges two plastic bureaus that store beauty supplies.