"Heads of state all want this apartment for the prestige of it, " Mr. Blauvelt explained.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite

"The protocol was an art form, " recalled Mr. Blauvelt, who joined the staff in 1983.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite

"All the major powers have come through that front door, " Mr. Blauvelt marveled.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite

The latest crop of shibori enthusiasts, such as Brooklyn-based designer Rebecca Atwood, who recently launched the Blauvelt Collection of hand-dyed pillows, is breathing new life into the ancient craft.

WSJ: Patterns in Home Design: Is Shibori the Next Ikat?

"It's not the most comfortable chair, " Mr. Blauvelt admitted.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite

"That was for Imelda Marcos, " Mr. Blauvelt remembered.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite

He meant in their own suite and in the permanent 42nd-floor residence of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (I didn't get to see it because the current ambassador, Susan Rice, is living there now.) Mr. Blauvelt estimated that it is double to triple the size of the Presidential Suite, with a very large dining room.

WSJ: In the City's Power Suite