"Tricks of the Trade"

"Not even a designer's own home is safe from client-imposed compromises, but for her Tribeca living room, Purvi Padia came up with elegant solutions to her family's unruly demands. In plain sight she concealed the toys of both her 2-year-old son (vibrant playthings) and her husband (a massive flat-screen TV). Her David Blaine- worthy ticks? The toys are tucked in uniform flax bins, while the fireplace wall (home to the TV) is sheathed in bronze panels nearly the same color as the screen - the chicest camouflage ever. Still, there's space for Purvi, with pops of orange that "bring a little happiness to the room, " says the woman who, in the end, didn't relinquish one iota of style."