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Modern Icons and Family Furniture Inspire Eclectic Manhattan Apartment Design
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
When Interior Designer Kristen Rivoli first visited this apartment in Cesar Pelli’s Museum Tower, it had not been renovated since it was constructed in the early 1980s. Her client is a mother of three who took over her family’s Manhattan pied-a-terre. Ready to freshen things up to pay homage to her neighbor, The Museum of Modern Art, the client and Kristen used MoMA’s vast modern furniture collection as inspiration. The client also wished to use Alvar Aalto's studio and home for inspiration. Added to the mix were family heirlooms from the client's mother, a last-minute baby grand piano addition, vintage pieces they shopped for together, as well as pieces found in the MoMA’s archives.
| The dining room and living room are one large open space that needed to serve many functions. “My client wanted a space where one person could be reading, another could be working on a laptop while another watched television," Kristen says. "I integrated the banquette so that it could serve as place to seat diners as well as a comfortable spot for someone who wanted to work on their computer.” |
The wooden chairs you see in this room were inherited from the client’s mother. Kristen had them re-upholstered in green. She and her client stumbled upon the Wakefield console in a favorite vintage shop, and her client said, “We MUST find a place for this in the apartment!” The long dresser now serves as a functional storage piece and as a buffet.
When mixing woods, Kristen says, “Try to use different types ... You’ll never be able to match them. Here the warm wood of the console picks up on the teak parquet floor, while the rosewood table and chairs are a nice contrast.”
When mixing woods, Kristen says, “Try to use different types ... You’ll never be able to match them. Here the warm wood of the console picks up on the teak parquet floor, while the rosewood table and chairs are a nice contrast.”
| The galley kitchen functioned just fine for the client, it just needed an update, as it was all about linoleum and a gargantuan '80s microwave. Kristen refurbished it with new appliances and cabinets, and says “I felt that Carrera marble reflected modern times...but the original cooktop was so cool that we had to keep it.” Cabinets stretch all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage.
The iconic Starburst clock by George Nelson is another piece featured in MoMA’s collection. |
The original kitchen door was cumbersome metal; the new one is custom and lets natural light into the entry hall.
Sometimes it's actually hard to find that perfect paint shade of white. The unit is painted in "Marscapone" AF-20 from the Benjamin Moore Affinity collection, which is Kristen's favorite white.
Sometimes it's actually hard to find that perfect paint shade of white. The unit is painted in "Marscapone" AF-20 from the Benjamin Moore Affinity collection, which is Kristen's favorite white.
| In honor of Alvar Aalto’s inspiration, two of his lounge chairs were chosen for the living room. The room lets the family and their friends gather and relax in the same space.
The white panel on the bookcase slides over to reveal the television set. |
Silver from the client's aunt and mother mix with iconic furnishings chosen from MoMA’s archives. “We didn’t want every piece to be iconic; this is a home, not a museum, and it needed to have a comfortable feel”
The wavy screen is made of plantation-grown teak slats with wood squares between them, and you can change its wavy shape or straightened it out. It was designed by Matt Gagnon.
The baby grand was a last-minute, “By the way, we need to fit in my aunt’s piano” situation, but luckily it fits right in (and didn't require window removal and a crane). The dining banquette pictured earlier is to the left of the piano.
The Eames lounger with the view is a very popular spot for reading in this home.
The Cerulean blue accent wall in the master bedroom was a bold choice. “We wanted color but not a dark color. this shade glows in the daytime and is a warm blue.” Kristen found the Paul McCobb desk while vintage shopping, and her client found the Paul McCobb chair separately. The mix of woods works well, especially when you factor in the nightstands from Thomas Moser, pictured next.
| MoMA’s archives came in handy again, as they led Kristen to these unique Noguchi tripod table lamps. “They give off a nice ambient light, and you can also read by them.” |
| The original master bedroom was converted into a bedroom for the the client’s three daughters. (There is a third twin-sized bed in here that is not shown.) Each bed has an Eames screen underneath so that the girls can get a little privacy from each other. The daybed provides an extra spot for sleepovers with friends.
A walk-in closet was sacrificed in order to provide more bedroom space. “We maximized the living spaces so that there was plenty of room for the family to gather and for them to have their friends stay over. We also maximized every inch of storage space available here by having closet companies outfit each closet for efficiency.” |
A favorite vintage scouting spot for Kristen is Reside in Cambridge Massachusetts. If you shop there, heed Kristen's advice: "Her things go so quickly, that if you see something you like you need to call your client and buy it immediately!”
Purchasing iconic pieces from MoMA's archives is easier than you think; check out MoMA.org for more information. Also, as you click on the individual photos, Kristen has tagged and identified a lot of the items for you.
To see more of Kristen Rivoli's work, click here. All photos by Greg Premru.
Purchasing iconic pieces from MoMA's archives is easier than you think; check out MoMA.org for more information. Also, as you click on the individual photos, Kristen has tagged and identified a lot of the items for you.
To see more of Kristen Rivoli's work, click here. All photos by Greg Premru.
Ideabook updated on Jan. 22, 2011.
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The spanning of the different eras (executed uncomfortably, I think,) reminded me of rental apartments I have let in the past.
They wanted the home to reflect their wordly lifestyle, showcasing their personal collection of colorful artwork (as a nod to MOMA) and the amazing views outside and they also wanted a serene, calm interior as a respite from the busy, frentic street scenes when they walk out their door, so the colors are neutral. The kitchen tiles are the original terra cotta tiles that were in excellent condition and the owner wished to retain. They use this apartment as a second home and bring most of their things when they stay. Thanks again readers for such a lively debate!
Moma as an inspiration...seriously cool and oh so NY!
Lucky family is all i have to say.