A GOOD DESIGNER RELIES ON A KEEN EYE FOR COLOR, TEXTURE, AND DETAIL.

Deborah Fields is no exception, but when creating contemporary interiors, this Fairfield County designer knows it's just as important to trust her ear. "When I meet a new client for the first time, the most important thing I do is listen," she says. "A home should reflect the owner's personal preferences and sense of style, not just my own!"

A knack for translating her clients' articulated concepts into comfortable, confident, uncluttered rooms has earned the designer's young Connecticut-based firm, Designs by Deborah, a broad range of commissions throughout the metropolitan area, including this newly constructed apartment in Midtown Manhattan. "The building is in a busy, crowded part of town, with a great view of the Empire State Building," says Fields. "We insulated it from the chaos outside by giving it clean lines and a quite, contemporary elegance — which is also, not coincidentally, how I would describe my client."