Or embrace the urban landscape: “If you think of the windows as the dominant element, or like wallpaper, you want to respond with colors, textures and materials that are harmonious,” said Adam Rolston, an architect at Incorporated Architecture & Design. “New York light is cool and gray, so you can embrace that or try to do battle with it with colors that are more saturated.”

Shrug off minimalist domination: “Just because one has a modern space, that does not always dictate the design,” said the designer Miles Redd. “If you have things around you that you love, you are always happy. The glass box just allows you to see them a little better.”

And shield that view: “There’s very old feng shui tradition that says you shouldn’t enter a place and look straight out a window,” said Sarah Rossbach, the author of feng shui books including “Interior Design With Feng Shui.” Money and opportunity will come in, she suggested, but they’ll go right back out again.

Finally, consider the counsel of Jennifer Post, a designer of glossy, minimal spaces who is covering a one-bedroom at 40 Mercer in gray lacquer: Find an expert window washer and keep him on a regular schedule. (Ms. Post washes her windows once a month.)