Rich REDS AND BROWNS, FOR A NEW YORK LOFT The views from this penthouse apartment evoke the opening montage of Manhattan—filmmaker Woody Allen’s classic ode to New York, with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue playing in the background. Located in a Beaux Arts building in the landmarked district known as Ladies’ Mile, the duplex, converted from a manufacturing loft to a residence in the late 1990s, retained a bare-bones, industrial feeling. My clients had wanted me to give their downtown place an uptown look, using New York in the 1930s as our inspiration. I incorporated details such as fluted columns, scalloped chair rails, deep crown moldings, ornamental ironwork, silver-leafed ceilings, and lots of mirrors. In order to retain the spaciousness of a loft in the living spaces, I defined certain areas, such as the foyer, kept the kitchen on the small size, and modified the original fireplace. Much to my delight, the clients requested that I fill the loft with saturated color. Although I am confident about my ability to design and create a successful project, I still welcome confirmation that the final outcome matches my clients’ expectations. At the loft’s inaugural dinner party, the host and hostess were extremely generous with their praise. Later in the evening, one of the guests made his way over to the baby grand piano, with the elegant interior romantic skyline as his background. Hearing the familiar first notes of Rhapsody in Blue, I was overwhelmed with a great sense of satisfaction. To paraphrase another Gershwin composition, New York, “I’ve got a crush on you.” Left I had just returned from a trip to Marrakech when I began the decorative phase of this project, and was very inspired by the Moroccan use of pattern and color. Raoul Textiles, known for its overscale linen florals and geometrics, produced the fanciful fig print in a maize colorway that was used to upholster the walls of the study. While luxurious in appearance, the upholstery also serves to muffle the city sounds, which was extremely important to my clients. The simple high-back chair from John Boone has been given extra sex appeal with the addition of a contrasting red cashmere back and sides, and a nailhead trim.
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1/30/13 9:24 AM
Rich REDS AND BROWNS, FOR A NEW YORK LOFT The views from this penthouse apartment evoke the opening montage of Manhattan—filmmaker Woody Allen’s classic ode to New York, with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue playing in the background. Located in a Beaux Arts building in the landmarked district known as Ladies’ Mile, the duplex, converted from a manufacturing loft to a residence in the late 1990s, retained a bare-bones, industrial feeling. My clients had wanted me to give their downtown place an uptown look, using New York in the 1930s as our inspiration. I incorporated details such as fluted columns, scalloped chair rails, deep crown moldings, ornamental ironwork, silver-leafed ceilings, and lots of mirrors. In order to retain the spaciousness of a loft in the living spaces, I defined certain areas, such as the foyer, kept the kitchen on the small size, and modified the original fireplace. Much to my delight, the clients requested that I fill the loft with saturated color. Although I am confident about my ability to design and create a successful project, I still welcome confirmation that the final outcome matches my clients’ expectations. At the loft’s inaugural dinner party, the host and hostess were extremely generous with their praise. Later in the evening, one of the guests made his way over to the baby grand piano, with the elegant interior romantic skyline as his background. Hearing the familiar first notes of Rhapsody in Blue, I was overwhelmed with a great sense of satisfaction. To paraphrase another Gershwin composition, New York, “I’ve got a crush on you.” Left I had just returned from a trip to Marrakech when I began the decorative phase of this project, and was very inspired by the Moroccan use of pattern and color. Raoul Textiles, known for its overscale linen florals and geometrics, produced the fanciful fig print in a maize colorway that was used to upholster the walls of the study. While luxurious in appearance, the upholstery also serves to muffle the city sounds, which was extremely important to my clients. The simple high-back chair from John Boone has been given extra sex appeal with the addition of a contrasting red cashmere back and sides, and a nailhead trim.
34-35
1/30/13 9:24 AM
Opposite Rather than designing another white kitchen, I chose to paint the cabinets a deeper shade of the Palladian blue used in the living room. Aside from uniting both parts of the house, the color inspired a strong sense of familiarity, and reminded me of the many hours I spent with my grandmother when I was a child. A large tole tray behind the cooktop serves as a backsplash. Ample overhead lighting is provided by a large wind bowl, one of a pair in the room. The antique dough chest is convenient for extra storage and is a good place to put down my keys when I come in from the garden. Right The glass cabinets in the butler’s pantry hold the large collection of glassware and serving pieces that I have amassed over many years. I purposely eliminated the cabinet doors below the counter and designed the ornamented fabric skirt to soften the overall look of the room. The wood-framed painting that depicts an early twentieth century beach scene in France rests against a custom-designed canvas wallcovering.
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64-65
1/30/13 9:25 AM
Opposite Rather than designing another white kitchen, I chose to paint the cabinets a deeper shade of the Palladian blue used in the living room. Aside from uniting both parts of the house, the color inspired a strong sense of familiarity, and reminded me of the many hours I spent with my grandmother when I was a child. A large tole tray behind the cooktop serves as a backsplash. Ample overhead lighting is provided by a large wind bowl, one of a pair in the room. The antique dough chest is convenient for extra storage and is a good place to put down my keys when I come in from the garden. Right The glass cabinets in the butler’s pantry hold the large collection of glassware and serving pieces that I have amassed over many years. I purposely eliminated the cabinet doors below the counter and designed the ornamented fabric skirt to soften the overall look of the room. The wood-framed painting that depicts an early twentieth century beach scene in France rests against a custom-designed canvas wallcovering.
65
64-65
1/30/13 9:25 AM
Right The lower-level media room had previously been a neglected area of the house, with exposed ductwork, black walls, and heavy leather furniture. It was so gloomy that there was a concern that anyone would ever want to spend time there. My goal was to connect the dungeon-like room to the rest of the house and make it as attractive as possible. I eliminated the ductwork and installed a white coffered ceiling that matched the ones in the other rooms, while adding some brightness. The black walls were sanded and given a distressed-blue paint treatment. I chose a blue and sand-colored scheme for the upholstery and used mohair and chenille for texture and softness. In the bar area, white upholstered stools and fabric-covered shades create an inviting ambiance.Â
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1/30/13 9:26 AM
Right The lower-level media room had previously been a neglected area of the house, with exposed ductwork, black walls, and heavy leather furniture. It was so gloomy that there was a concern that anyone would ever want to spend time there. My goal was to connect the dungeon-like room to the rest of the house and make it as attractive as possible. I eliminated the ductwork and installed a white coffered ceiling that matched the ones in the other rooms, while adding some brightness. The black walls were sanded and given a distressed-blue paint treatment. I chose a blue and sand-colored scheme for the upholstery and used mohair and chenille for texture and softness. In the bar area, white upholstered stools and fabric-covered shades create an inviting ambiance.Â
92-93
1/30/13 9:26 AM
Opposite For the walls of the hallway to the master bedroom, I decided on a coral Venetian plaster that gave off a warm glow. The center space was octagonal, so I decided to work with the symmetry and used four Art Deco chairs, which I gessoed white and upholstered with a fabric that I had used in the bedroom. Above them, I hung four Hollywood Regency wall brackets, again gessoed white, upon which I placed elegant branches of white sea coral. Right The master bathroom was oversized and had numerous windows on all its outside walls, but a wall足 paper in a wide stripe of yellow, coral, and white overcame these infelicities. The iron chandelier, with all its scrolls and fluidity, was a counterpoint to the strong stripe. The slipper chair, slipcovered in white terrycloth, exemplified the softness that the room needed and was a comfortable spot to dry off after a bath.
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120-121
1/30/13 9:27 AM
Opposite For the walls of the hallway to the master bedroom, I decided on a coral Venetian plaster that gave off a warm glow. The center space was octagonal, so I decided to work with the symmetry and used four Art Deco chairs, which I gessoed white and upholstered with a fabric that I had used in the bedroom. Above them, I hung four Hollywood Regency wall brackets, again gessoed white, upon which I placed elegant branches of white sea coral. Right The master bathroom was oversized and had numerous windows on all its outside walls, but a wall足 paper in a wide stripe of yellow, coral, and white overcame these infelicities. The iron chandelier, with all its scrolls and fluidity, was a counterpoint to the strong stripe. The slipper chair, slipcovered in white terrycloth, exemplified the softness that the room needed and was a comfortable spot to dry off after a bath.
121
120-121
1/30/13 9:27 AM