REAL-LIFE REDO

Before she was one of The Real Housewives of New York City, which began airing its second season on Bravo TV in February, Jill Zarin was a mom, wife, sometimes-socialite, and flex-hours associate in husband Bobby's family business, Zarin Fabric. As a housewife (lowercase "h"), she did her home decorating with a lowercase "d" -- that is, for the appreciation of her family and friends, period.

This year, though, little that Jill does escapes the viewing public. For example, the show recently televised the fund-raiser for orphans that Jill hosted at her Hamptons house last summer. So when she decided to redecorate the Upper East Side apartment she shares with Bobby and her 17-year-old daughter, Ally Shapiro, she knew fans would be watching.

"Naturally, I'm a little nervous," says the otherwise self-confident redhead, shown here with her beloved Chihuahua, Ginger. "People will either love what I've done or hate it," she frets.

Design:
Interior designers: Brad Boles; project manager, Katelyn Northcraft: Zarin Fabrics, 314 Grand at Allen St., New York, NY 10002; 212/925-6112, zarinfabrics.com. Contractor: Frank Gallo; paper hanger: Jeffrey Strumeyer; painter: Thomas Blee-Carlyle, Blee Studio, 480/213-5458; bleestudio.com.

Photographs by John Bessler
Text by Candace Ord Manroe
Produced by Jenny Bradley