Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A West Chelsea Duplex Combines Modern Style and Glamour
Clean lines and a gray palette with a touch of color create a calming oasis in New York
Gino and Michelle Carteron toured numerous apartments in West Chelsea before falling in love with their loft-style duplex. “West Chelsea is amazing and so rapidly changing,” Carteron says of their new neighborhood. “We love the fact that it is a bit west of all the hustle and bustle and is near Hudson River Park and Chelsea Piers.” With the help of designer Andrew Suvalsky, they turned the duplex into the contemporary space they were longing for.
The statements in the room are the large custom art hanging on the wall and the chaise from B&B Italia that sits underneath it. “The chaise is our dog’s favorite spot!” Gino says.
“We did very little structural work, and we did not have to touch the baths or the kitchen,” he says. “We did add some built-ins that Andy suggested, as well as some interesting design additions and an office space and shower downstairs.”
Sofa: Gene O.; drapes: C & G Custom Draperies; rug: ABC Carpet & Home
“We did very little structural work, and we did not have to touch the baths or the kitchen,” he says. “We did add some built-ins that Andy suggested, as well as some interesting design additions and an office space and shower downstairs.”
Sofa: Gene O.; drapes: C & G Custom Draperies; rug: ABC Carpet & Home
The Carterons love the open living, dining and kitchen area because they can have guests over and hang out around the kitchen, sit in the living room or be at the dining table and still be mingling. A small pullout cabinet at one end of the island is handy as an extra serving or work area and even occasionally provides some seating space.
“We also love the large windows, which give us a lot of light,” Michelle says.
“We also love the large windows, which give us a lot of light,” Michelle says.
There wasn’t much for the couple to change in the kitchen; they just made a few cosmetic touches. “The kitchen is very functional and has lots of space,” Michelle says.
Dining table: Ultra Modern
Dining table: Ultra Modern
The center island is a highlight of the space for the Carterons, as they always end up hanging around it when guests are over and can use it for buffet-style serving. “We also tend to eat dinner there when it is just the two of us,” Michelle says.
Bar stools: BoConcept
Bar stools: BoConcept
In the powder room, Suvalsky suggested a splash of color to counteract the gray backdrop in the living space.
“The deep blue, a color that would have been too much in another, bigger space, made sense here because of the small scale of the space,” he says. “This is a powder room, and generally I think powder rooms are meant to largely be used by guests — think parties — so the space should be sharper and more jewel-box-like than other spaces.”
“The deep blue, a color that would have been too much in another, bigger space, made sense here because of the small scale of the space,” he says. “This is a powder room, and generally I think powder rooms are meant to largely be used by guests — think parties — so the space should be sharper and more jewel-box-like than other spaces.”
In the master bedroom, only decorative changes were needed. Keeping with the gray palette, the couple went with a custom-made bed by Gene O., with stingray leather for the headboard. The Création Baumann floral pillow adds a dash of color.
Suvalsky wanted the space to be very ethereal and strong but glamorous, and wanted to maintain the light gray tone but in a way that was soft and bedroom-like. “The acrylic bed frame was to keep the bed feeling light, while the overscaled stingray leather tufted headboard was both for visual impact and real comfort,” he says. “The other items, the oversized floor mirror and especially the white artichoke light fixture, were meant to play with the other pop-modern-glam pieces in the room.”
The master bath boasts this luxurious tub with artwork from Lumas above it.
On the lower level, a round custom couch from Gene O. creates the perfect space for relaxing and watching a movie with a cocktail made at the couple’s custom bar area, seen in the next photo. Pops of color come in the form of large blue pillows.
The room receives added light from skyights set into the ceiling behind the curtains. “I love the skylights in the sidewalk,” Gino says. “It is such a great feature that gives the lower-level space light!” The curtains serve as a separator in case guests want more privacy when they visit.
Rug: ABC Carpet & Home
The room receives added light from skyights set into the ceiling behind the curtains. “I love the skylights in the sidewalk,” Gino says. “It is such a great feature that gives the lower-level space light!” The curtains serve as a separator in case guests want more privacy when they visit.
Rug: ABC Carpet & Home
The bar was custom-built with shelving fabricated by Plexi-Craft. It perfectly completes this lounge area.
Behind the curtains is an office space. “We have a world map here with pushpins that we use to mark all of the places we have been and all of the places we still want to go,” Gino says. “Also, guests use this space to lounge around. We keep our books down here, and we love that it is like a mini library.”
Luna, a five-year-old pit bull mix and the inspiration for the design of the apartment, is pictured here on her favorite chaise.
“It started off that she was only allowed on the bed, but that has now expanded to, well, basically all of the furniture,” Michelle says. “Thankfully she does not really shed!”
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“It started off that she was only allowed on the bed, but that has now expanded to, well, basically all of the furniture,” Michelle says. “Thankfully she does not really shed!”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes |Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Gino and Michelle Carteron, with their dog, Luna
Location: New York City
Size: 2,270 square feet (210.8 square meters); one bedroom, 2½ bathrooms
The couple like a sleek modern and minimalistic look. They were very inspired by designer Andrew Suvalsky’s goals for designing the space. He, in turn was inspired by their dog, Luna.
“They pointed to their dog, Luna, and told me they loved everything about her look — not to mention her personality: her color, the luster of her coat, her strong form and her cozy, warm disposition,” Suvalsky says. “They said they’d love to see those same qualities come to life in their design. So I ran with it, and I think those qualities are expressed in the paint colors, the silver leaf-papered living room columns and the modern, sculptural furnishings.”