Case study of a New York apartment

Case Study of a New York Apartment

In this lesson, we'll be looking at a recently completed project of ours - an apartment in New York. It belonged to clients we have worked with previously and was luxuriously situated looking over 5th Avenue.

The Brief

Our clients are based between New York and Florida. They have grown children and wanted a place for the whole family to stay when visiting New York. Both of our clients love hosting and entertaining, and the husband is also a piano player and enjoys playing chess too. They are avid art collectors and already had lots of beautiful furniture they wanted to keep.

Our Process

• The first step was to visit their existing apartment and take inventory of everything we would be able to reuse in the new home.
• We assessed how the clients lived, and what they needed to make the new apartment work best for them. We knew we needed to factor their hobbies such as piano and chess into the furniture we would need for the layout.
• Work then began on the furniture plan. Our clients entertain regularly, so we created different seating arrangements that offered both flexibility and comfort. The room is large, so we have an area for eight people to chat comfortably, as well as other groupings of two or four for when our clients are hosting smaller gatherings.
• A variety of seating ensures that every guest can find a seat they find comfortable. Some prefer high-backed chairs, whereas others like something slouchier.
• I like to have a balance of solid upholstered pieces and more slimline armchairs with legs.
• The room had beautiful wall panelling designed by Peter Pennoyer Architects, so this factored into our design and influenced the decisions we made.
• As is often the case, a rug was the starting point for the colour scheme and started us down the path of pale white with coral pinks and soft blues. I didn't want the scheme to detract from the client's beautiful art or the incredible view out the window, so the colours are muted and subtle.
• Finding the perfect white is never as simple as you think, and we sampled a lot of different shades before landing on the right one. Always test samples in the space and observe how they interact with the natural light.
• The larger pieces of upholstery are in solid neutral colours, and interest is added with vintage textiles and patterned fabrics across cushions and smaller pieces of furniture.
• Pattern is a personal preference, and I tend to not overdo it, preferring instead to introduce interest through art, cushions and decorative objects.
• It's important to add detailing within the scheme, and all of these need to be included on the worksheets for each element.