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Houzz Tour: Gloriously Untamed Color in a Manhattan Home
Supersaturated colors and the spirit of the outdoors let imagination run wild in an urban apartment for a family of 7
When your client's upbringing in a Santa Cruz, California, hippie commune has influenced so much of her lifestyle, you can't help but let that unfettered spirit seep into her home. "We're always creating portraits of our clients in their houses," says Drew Stuart, partner at Incorporated. "Architects are editors by nature, so we let clients compile ideas — but then it's really our job to edit out." The architect doesn't take all the credit, though; he applauds his client's design confidence, apparent in almost every room in this colorful, eclectic home.
"This home's story begins with its neutral shell," he says. "We needed that muted palette so the rest of its unique, colorful parts could really sing."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kelly Black, her husband and their 5 kids
Location: New York City
Size: 4,700 square feet
Design challenge: Limited elevator space. "It determines so much of what's assembled on- and offsite," says Stuart.
"This home's story begins with its neutral shell," he says. "We needed that muted palette so the rest of its unique, colorful parts could really sing."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kelly Black, her husband and their 5 kids
Location: New York City
Size: 4,700 square feet
Design challenge: Limited elevator space. "It determines so much of what's assembled on- and offsite," says Stuart.
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| A Roche Bobois modular sofa in a patchwork of prints brings out a relaxed, laid-back vibe in the family room. "It's low to the ground, so it's a bit like sitting down for a picnic in the grass. You can't help but stay a little while and hang out," says Stuart. Cabinetry: S. Donadic; dining table, seating: ducduc |
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| When the renovation started, homeowner Kelly Black came to Stuart with a box of wallpapers she had been collecting and a burning question: Can you do anything with them? Stuart pored through Black's collection and started with an Orla Kiely print. "We showed her a rendering for the library that was quite true to the actual thing, so it's not like she had to make this massive leap of faith," says Stuart. "It was easy to convince her that we were going to do something amazing." True to his word, Stuart and his team created a jaw-dropping, pattern-heavy space swathed in Kiely's iconic multistem motif. He then pulled directly from the wallpaper's leaf colors to design the custom built-in units and floating walnut shelves. Wallpaper: Multistem, Orla Kiely; armchair, ottoman: Anthropologie; floor lamp: Excel, Rich Brilliant Willing |
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From the modular sofa (previous photo), you can look up at the custom sky-blue media unit, spray painted to give it the look of a rich lacquer finish. The shelves showcase the kids' art and book collections, while drawers corral loose items and toys.
Paint: Utah Sky, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Utah Sky, Benjamin Moore
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This custom playroom, designed by Stuart and built by contractors Johnny Donadic and Steve Donadic, is a study in the democratic process. All five kids — and their friends — voted on what they thought was the coolest playhouse: this boxy, modern structure with chartreuse splashes.
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Sons; chartreuse paint: Lucky Charm Green, Benjamin Moore
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Sons; chartreuse paint: Lucky Charm Green, Benjamin Moore
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Stuart juxtaposed the real and the representation of nature and the outdoors in the home, most clearly seen in the contrast between the birch tree wallpaper (previous image) and this birch tree screen, which conceals storage cabinets.
"We had a guy running around the woods in Minnesota, looking for the straightest birch trees he could find. I love the knots against the birch — it's such a great contrast against the strong verticals so you can feel the realness of the wood," says Stuart.
Light fixture: Lindsey Adelman; dining table, benches: Environment Furniture; wingback chairs: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Ashton
"We had a guy running around the woods in Minnesota, looking for the straightest birch trees he could find. I love the knots against the birch — it's such a great contrast against the strong verticals so you can feel the realness of the wood," says Stuart.
Light fixture: Lindsey Adelman; dining table, benches: Environment Furniture; wingback chairs: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Ashton
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| The birch screen does a great job of receiving all the energy coming down the hall from the entire apartment, Stuart says. |
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| The kids' homework corner has a cork wall to hold assignments, activity reminders and pictures. A chalkboard wall conceals printers, paper and other school supplies. |
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Stuart and his team transformed what he describes as a staid kitchen into an invigorating space, by incorporating a Josef Frank fabric into the mix.
The idea began when Black requested custom pillows covers made of the Josef Frank fabric. But after seeing the pattern, Stuart knew that the pillows couldn't hold the scale of the pattern. "Instead we encased the fabric in glass and used it as a backsplash," he says. "We had never done it before. It just makes the kitchen so stunning and memorable."
The idea began when Black requested custom pillows covers made of the Josef Frank fabric. But after seeing the pattern, Stuart knew that the pillows couldn't hold the scale of the pattern. "Instead we encased the fabric in glass and used it as a backsplash," he says. "We had never done it before. It just makes the kitchen so stunning and memorable."
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| The architect has a lot of respect for Black's design confidence. "She just came to us one day with these massive Mexican doors. We mounted them with steel brackets, and they make the most unique headboard," he says. "She has great instincts and somehow knew that we could make it work." |
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| Designing and building the boys' bunk beds proved challenging for the team because of the room's angled wall. And the boys wanted not just two but four beds. The contractor built components of the bunk beds offsite and then assembled the pieces in the boys' room later. The finished structure houses the two boys, and their friends on weekend sleepovers. "The climbing wall won the kids over," says Stuart. |
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| Stuart gave the contractor a full-size template for the tree branches and leaves in the girls' room. The wooden leaves and branches energize the space, giving it movement — all without taking up too much ground level space in the room. Loft and platform beds, drawer dresser: Alex, ducduc |
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The nursery is babyproofed, so there are no real trees in this nest. But a pair of tree decals repeats the apartment's outdoorsy theme.
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Black and white slate tiles in the guest bathroom act as a neutral shell to the vibrant Moroccan cement tile backsplash that reaches all the way under the sink.
Medicine cabinet: Restoration Hardware; sink: Gilford, Kohler; light: Bilux Sconce, Fabulux
Medicine cabinet: Restoration Hardware; sink: Gilford, Kohler; light: Bilux Sconce, Fabulux
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"This is one of the first projects where we designed as we went along instead of having everything figured out. We are typical architects — very anal retentive — but for this home we really began just with the shell and worked from there. It was kind of liberating," says Stuart.
Entry banquette: French walnut veneer; custom built by S. Donadic
Entry banquette: French walnut veneer; custom built by S. Donadic
Ideabook published on Oct. 23, 2012.
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Love the tree branches in the girls' room, love the Moroccan tile, love the risk-taking, heart and soul. It works, bravo!
http://www.dwellstudio.com/modern-baby-boutique/nursery-area-rugs/tree-multi-large.html
thanks,
Lisa.
The only room that I like is the dining room - love the trees.
http://www.donadic.com/
This entire house feels more editorial and staged than a warm, real space to come home to. Seriously.
BBStudios