In an apartment like Beth Rudin DeWoody’s, it’s easy to talk about art. Here, guests share space with skeletons made of Swarovski crystals, sculpted rats rooting through marble trashcans, and even a fuzzy abominable snowman. Amid the humor and quirkiness of it all, the Director’s Council of the Whitney Museum gathered last week.

To host this dinner party, Ms. DeWoody – daughter of Lewis Rudin, the late real estate scion and a Whitney trustee – opened up her home for the first time since completing a yearlong renovation. After 20 years of living in the house, art and furniture had been piling up. So when it was time for a change, the goal was a clean, fresh design that would let the art stand out.

Now Nicola Bolla’s skeleton made of Swarovski crystals sits near the grand piano – and another skeleton made of dollar bills, by Heather Cox, hangs from a 19th-century Gothic Revival cabinet. Next to the couch in the living room is Mark Swanson’s abominable snowman. The video art in her bedroom displays a montage by Christian Marclay, in which people answer the telephone.

As for the rats, the rodent in the vestibule is by Sean Mallyn, and Ms. DeWoody herself placed it in a marble trash can by Lars Fisk. There is another under a table in the hallway made from paper boxes by Tom Sachs.

“I bought it because it was so fabulous. I thought it was so funny,” Ms. DeWoody said. “It’s an homage to New York.”

The renovation – completed by Beale/Lana Interior Design -was about “dusting off the cobwebs,” designer Carl Lana said. He estimated that 60% of the apartment was new, noting that the space had strong bones to begin with, such as the classical fireplaces Ms. DeWoody installed when she moved in. Most of the furniture stayed the same, though certain pieces were updated and reupholstered. The ivory walls in most of the rooms were painted in varying shades of white – with the exception of the entertainment room, which is orange and has a 1970s look.

“It went from being weighty to effervescent,” Mr. Lana said, noting that since the renovation began, Ms. DeWoody had acquired several new works of art, such as a glass bubble sculpture by Rob Wynne installed next to the living room fireplace.

The size of Ms. DeWoody’s collection far exceeds the space she has to display it. For the crisp look she wanted, she had to remove some pieces that had been on view for years.

“As someone who’s been to the apartment many times over the years, I’ve seen the new things go on top. It had become something very archaeological: There was layer upon layer upon layer,” the director of the Whitney, Adam Weinberg, said as he stepped around a sculpture of Lucite boxes by Terrence Koh. “Now she’s dug it all up and rediscovered her own collection.”

The Lucite sculpture, one of her favorite pieces, led to a discussion of how she buys art. “When I saw it, I mentally visualized where it was going to go. Sometimes I do that. I’ll visually think of where I’m going to place it. Other times, I’ll just buy it because I love the work,” Ms. DeWoody said.

And as the many rooms of this apartment show, the works she loves are humorous, unexpected, and impossible to ignore.