Cindy Gallop, 20-year veteran of the advertising industry, knows how to be creative. As vice president and eventually chairman of the New York office of Bartle Bogle Hegarty, she oversaw advertising for Johnnie Walker, Levi’s, and the male deodorant body spray Axe.

So it’s only fitting that her apartment is aggressively inventive. Step into this 3,500-square-foot space and you’re not sure where you are – which is all by design. “When night falls, I want to feel like I am in a bar in Shanghai,” Ms. Gallop said.

But in fact, you’re in an entirely black apartment within the old Chelsea YMCA – and the men’s locker room at that. Designed by the Apartment creative agency, Ms. Gallop’s living space is coated entirely in black, shiny paint. On the walls are large contemporary paintings by an old friend, David Piddock, and her favorite artist, Paul Richard, from whom she commissioned a self-portrait.

The co-founder and creative director of the Apartment, Stefan Boublil, knew the art would make for excellent drama. “We knew she had such an art collection and that the art collection would be the background,” Mr. Boublil said. “What you notice is not the black apartment, but what’s in it and who lives in it.”

Mr. Boublil, along with a colleague from the Apartment, also bought shares of the old Y and turned their space – located right above Ms. Gallop’s apartment – into an entertaining apartment, as well. Their place used to be the Y’s basketball court. The original front entrance of the Y remains; it leads to the David Barton Gym, a retail tenant that takes up the basement, first, and second floors of the old Y. The steps to the left of the entrance lead down to a smaller side door for the owners (and visitors) of the 12 residential condo units.

Ms. Gallop spent years of her life traveling, collecting art, and haunting junkshops and flea markets. Born in Britain, she moved with her family to Borneo at age 6. As an adult, she worked in London and Singapore.

Her exotic travels are reflected in the apartment. Animal heads adorn the walls and floor. Animal rugs are laid down over the black carpeting. Antique Chinese wedding and opium beds, along with two gray chinchilla sofas, fill some of the open space in the living room and the bedroom, while erotic Asian art, a designer shoe collection, and books take up the shelf space.

The apartment also is designed to be functional and meet Ms. Gallop’s lifestyle whims. There is a grand bathtub (not left over from the locker room days) in the middle of the apartment. With so many personal touches all around, this space could only belong to this owner. “It’s just a fantastic showcase for my life,” Ms. Gallop said. “For the first time, my entire life is around me.”

“She made sure there is a contrast between the foundation of the space and what she brought in,” Mr. Boublil said. “It is very visually noisy and flamboyant and ‘out there.’ She brought all that rich culture; we just provided a canvas for it.”

There is also a comfort factor to Ms. Gallop’s home. “It feels safe to be yourself,” Mr. Boublil said. “It feels like a home more than just a spread in a design magazine.”

When Ms. Gallop’s boyfriend, Steven LeBoyer, first heard of her apartment, he was apprehensive of the idea, but now can’t imagine living anywhere else. “I thought to myself, well, that will be cool and the novelty will last 20 hours, but when I saw it I was completely blown away,” Mr. LeBoyer said.

Indeed, with a design like this, there’s more staying power than you might expect.