The project task was to combine two neighboring apartments on the 23rd floor of a new Michael Graves luxury condo building on the Upper East Side. The client wanted to create a comparable luxury space in the modernist spirit of the building, which would include a large living / dining/ entertainment area and an opulent master bedroom suite. Both original apartments consisted of small, enclosed, galley-type kitchens and fairly small combined dining/living area. The new layout combines three ”room bays” into one large living/dining area with two-sideed open city views. Sculpture-like kitchen island, with its materials and lighting, animates the entire open area while the ceiling above the kitchen (with sprinkler lines undisturbed) accentuate the island form. A newly created entry foyer, with a decorative niche and flooring detail, gives a formal luxurious feeling to the apartment. The new bedroom suite has a spacious two-side exposure bedroom facing north and east. A generous walk-in closet created in place of the old apartment’s kitchen and a new renovated master bath continue this feeling of increased space. The bathroom is simple, clean and elegant. Long horizontal lines of white marble with a vanity on one side and a storage bench (that turns into shower seat) on the other, help to extend the bathroom further more.
Design:
The apartment has a modern, elegant and sophisticated look. Lighting is one of the most important design elements of the project. Although the apartment has abundant daylight, the lighting is designed to accentuate certain areas, creating an ambiance and atmosphere. Juxtaposed to the lighting richness is an almost frugal color palette (whites and natural wood) that emphasizes the variety of soft-lit areas and details, enabling a mystical flow of light throughout. The project budget and design direction called for simple, yet convincing material solutions such as: white Silestone kitchen counters, neutral color glass mosaic (where clear and frosted pieces of glass create dynamic and unique reflection) used as bar die and kitchen splash and natural maple kitchen cabinets in sync with new oak floor. Bathroom color palette is stronger, yet minimal and simple. Statuary white marble vanity and bench tops dominate floor and wall ceramic tile in dark sand color and lead attention to the glass-enclosed walk-in shower and further toward the accent wall covered in decorative handmade tile. Texture of decorative wall has a spa-like quality of natural organic ambiance and is the only decoration in the bathroom. Dark cherry cabinetry provides a counterpoint to white marble lines.
Kitchen details:
Kitchen consists of two areas: subtle, more secluded area made of customized factory designed (Expo Design) maple cabinetry. State-of-the-art appliances are built-in, and cabinetry interiors are well organized. The prominent part of the kitchen is the island that houses a wine cooler and additional drawers. Silestone-wrapped column of the island encloses the existing gas riser and conveniently includes lighting and A/V controls for the entire area.