Apartment

Our clients were moving from a large family home in New Jersey into a 16th floor apartment in the city. To create the clean, open aesthetic they desired, we stripped the entire apartment down to the studs and joists, and opened up the space along its East/West axis by eliminating the walls of the entry foyer. This strong architectural axis captures the sunrise in the living room and sunset in the dining room, with expansive views through the entire apartment.

The open floor plan, ample built-in storage and minimal palette deliver a crisp, clean feel, which is warmed by oak floors and custom millwork. Oak portals at the threshold of each room provide seamless transitions throughout the space. Working with Nesta Studios, we selected furniture and carpets that are modern yet comfortable so family visits from the couple’s grown children and first grandchild would be easy and relaxed.

In our renovation of this Central Park penthouse, we stripped back the walls, floors and ceiling to the building’s concrete base, then carefully designed infrastructure to allow for ten-foot ceilings in all the public spaces. We paired the classical architectural detailing with a modern open plan to create an elegant, contemporary home in which the living room and master bedroom open to a terrace that overlooks the park.

The palette for both the architectural finishes and furnishings is soft and tonal. Black and white limestone floors in the entry, dining room and kitchen transition to grey stained oak floors in the rest of the penthouse. The custom-built millwork is eucalyptus in the kitchen, and silver-grey curly maple in the living room and dining area. An etched mirror surrounds the windows facing Central Park, reflecting the view. To complete the modern and timeless aesthetic sought by our client, we worked with interior designer Larysa Sendich of Nesta Studio for furniture, fabrics, wall coverings and curtains.

The plan of this Soho loft is symmetrical and simple. We were challenged to find a design solution that would direct natural light throughout the space using only the north and south windows and existing skylights. In response, we developed translucent “walls” of custom laminated rice paper and glass panels that imbue the space with warm light.

Located in a former bank building, the centerpiece of this duplex is the original double-height, arched steel windows. We used custom-designed cabinetry to create private areas while maintaining a sense of openness. Materials include concrete floors and custom bamboo ceilings and cabinets.

We had previously built the New York offices for this client’s large software company. When he sold that company, he asked us to design a penthouse apartment for a new stage of life with his wife and their four children. Because he purchased the unit early in the development of the building we were able to work with the developer to customize the floorplate. The apartment’s unique L-shape allows for unparalleled vistas in all directions and ample terraces to the west and north.

We prioritized the long skyline views through the apartment so that from all points there is a view, while also responding to the client’s desire for a modern interpretation of a Moroccan aesthetic. The apartment’s flow is modern and open but the materials, colors, and surfaces evoke another time and place. Using saturated colors and Moroccan architectural features, we created a tableau that combines contemporary building elements (concrete columns and exposed concrete ceiling slabs) with a modern interpretation of Moroccan architecture’s hand-made quality and bold palette.

The progression of natural light through the apartment marks the passage of the day, starting with sunrise in the Master suite and finishing with sunset in the living room.