The Fortress: A Home Shaped by Time
For more than twenty years, The Fortress has been both a home and an evolving interior shaped by early European furniture and decorative arts. Collected by Antonie Reinhard and the late Maurice Margules, the objects span five centuries and demonstrate a design philosophy rooted in use, intuition, and historical depth. This story illustrates how Reinhard continues to live with her cherished private collection.
The entryway into the private residence at The Fortress, including property from the private collection of Antonie Reinhard and Maurice Margules. The custom built staircase was fabricated and installed by a local Hudson Valley metal worker.
The Fortress: 500 Years of Furniture and Decorative Arts on February 26, 2026, offers a rare glimpse into a home where history is not preserved at a distance, but actively lived with. The collection comes from The Fortress, the storied hybrid residence and retail venue of Antonie Reinhard and the late Maurice Margules, two discerning collectors whose shared passion for furniture and decorative arts shaped both their home and their way of life. Located in Troy, New York, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, The Fortress is notable both for its architecture and the exceptional collection it contains. Within its walls, Reinhard and Margules shaped a private home that functioned as a lived-in showcase, demonstrating how centuries-old craftsmanship can coexist with modern sensibilities. Their extensive collection of early European furniture and decorative arts was carefully preserved while remaining an active part of daily life.
Known figures in New York’s downtown antiques trade, at Metro Antiques and later Turbulence; the pair built a reputation for sourcing pieces of exceptional character, form, and historical resonance. Together, they assembled a collection that reflects curiosity rather than convention, favoring pieces chosen for their character, craftsmanship, and ability to coexist across periods. Their home, aptly named The Fortress, became a layered and evolving interior where Renaissance, Baroque, and later works were arranged with ease and confidence.
While the sale at STAIR presents selections from the inventory of Metro Antiques and Turbulence in New York, it can also been seen as a celebration of how the pair lived with their vast collection. Reinhard graciously invited us into the private residence to showcase how one can live with such historically significant objects. This story is a testament to their eye for mixing the utmost traditional with modern and contemporary taste to create a thoughtful, blended interior.
The Fortress has served as both a home and haven to Antonie Reinhard and the late Maurice Margules. Located in Troy, New York, this nationally recognized historic property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Reinhard continues to live at The Fortress, where antiques remain integral to the home’s evolving interior. Rather than preserving rooms as fixed compositions, she allows furniture and decorative objects to move, adapt, and respond to contemporary life. A 17th-century table may serve as a writing desk, a Gothic chest as practical storage, and sculptural objects are placed where they can be handled and appreciated. This approach underscores her belief that historical works gain meaning through use, and that thoughtfully chosen antiques bring warmth, depth, and individuality to modern living spaces.
Central to this sale is Antonie’s philosophy of use. Furniture was meant to be sat on, tables to be worked at, and objects to be handled and enjoyed. Rather than staging a formal period interior, she integrated antiques into daily life, allowing patina, wear, and history to enrich the space. The result is a collection that feels alive, one shaped by thoughtful living and a belief that great design endures precisely because it remains functional.
While the interiors at The Fortress reflect how the collection has been lived with over time, only select works from the collection will be offered in the upcoming auction at STAIR, The Fortress: 500 Years of Furniture and Decorative Arts on February 26, 2026. The catalogue celebrates five centuries of furniture and decorative arts, and a way of living with history that resists the formality of period rooms in favor of a more personal and confident mode of decorating, one that blends historical depth with modern sensibility.
CATALOGUE ONLINE: Monday, February 13
GALLERY PREVIEW:
Friday, February 13: 9am – 5pm
Saturday, February 14: 11am – 5pm
Sunday February 15: Closed
Monday February 16: 9am – 5pm
Tuesday February 17: 9am – 5pm
Wednesday February 18: 9am – 5pm
Thursday February 19: 9am – 5pm
Friday February 20: 9am – 5pm
Saturday February 21: 11am – 5pm
Sunday February 22: Closed
Monday February 23: 9am – 5pm
Tuesday February 24: 9am – 5pm
Wednesday February 25: 9am – 5pm
Thursday February 26: 9am – 5pm