Democratic Leadership Council chairman Harold Ford and his wife, Emily, are close to unloading their downtown apartment at 105 Fifth Ave. We hear they have a buyer lined up and are waiting for co-op board approval.
The brightly colored (lemon yellow walls!) one-bedroom, two-bathroom loft with 11-plus-foot ceilings and an office/den area was listed for $1.4 million.
Ford is now looking all over town for a larger pad. It will be interesting to see what congressional district he chooses.
Brown Harris Stevens broker Kathy Sloane, who has the 105 Fifth Ave. listing, declined to comment.
Classy action
There is some action at the exclusive 834 Fifth Ave., known for its tough-as-nails co-op board.
Inside the Art Deco limestone building, Paul Cejas, the ex-ambassador to Belgium, has found a mystery buyer who is in contract to acquire his fifth-floor co-op.
The 4,300-square-foot unit, which had an asking price of $16.5 million, has two bedrooms, two maid’s rooms and 4½ bathrooms. The building, designed by Rosario Candela, was built in 1931 and has attracted buyers like Woody Johnson and Charles Schwab.
Cejas, who is primarily based in Miami and came to America from Cuba in 1960, founded CareFlorida Health Systems, a Hispanic health-care firm he sold in 1994. He is now chairman and CEO of PLC Investments, which focuses on real estate, venture capital and more.
Heart of Stone
We were the first to report that Oliver Stone, who came back to New York for the filming of “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” bought a 1,600-square-foot, $1.9 million condo at One Morton Square in the West Village. We recently spoke to Stone’s interior designer, Geoffrey Bradfield, about what he’s doing with the place.
What instructions/guidelines did [Stone] give you?
We wanted nautical connotations, since the apartment is on the river. The views of the Hudson are very panoramic and dramatic.
What was your color scheme?
He loves color. Blue and white is the basic theme of the apartment. However, there are accents of red and yellow. Art is also a major player regarding color.
What is the style you are doing the apartment in?
I decided to play up the sweeping views and imbue the pad with the feel of a luxury yacht. I designed area rugs capturing a nautical theme, which are being custom-made by Stark Carpet and Kyle Bunting. Most of the furnishings are custom-made from our workshops.
What key pieces will define the apartment?
We’ve purchased a dramatic painting by Spanish artists Caceres + Miranda based on Chinese communist propaganda. The painting floats on a mirrored wall and becomes the focal point of the living room. . . . Adding to the yacht-like atmosphere are deep window seats.