UPPER WEST SIDE II
New York City
LOCATION
Riverside Blvd, New York City
TYPE
TBC
This Argentine couple had owned a ground-floor duplex in the building for years. They loved the building and they loved the area, but they’d fallen out of love with the elevation. So, when another duplex with commanding views of the Hudson became available, they quite literally jumped for it, xxx floors to be exact.
The space needed a full rethink to realize its potential. We undertook a full gut renovation of the interior, introducing materials, finishes, and custom pieces that transformed the space from a developer’s white box into something much warmer, more modern, and more comfortable for a refined family with refined tastes.
Credits TBD
The original living room lacked a focal point, something to anchor the sweeping river views. To give the space weight, we installed a ventless fireplace clad in curved matte-black tiles to gather around. Much of the surrounding seating, including a custom xxx armchair in camel, a curved sofa in green, and an Art Deco armchair in blue, is upholstered in mohair to extend the fire’s warmth.
One half of the couple is an avid mahjong player, which meant a games table was a must. While amazing vintage mahjong tables do exist, elegantly curved legs and dark, rich tops beaten by years and years of sloshing tiles, their modern iterations, with their many technological bells and whistles, didn’t feel quite right for the space. A custom table was commissioned with oxidized bronze legs and a hardy green marble top.
The formal dining room is situated in the same room as the living room, just behind the fireplace facing sofa. The brief was for a flexible space, one that could accommodate meals up to 14, that went from drinks to dining to coffee and dessert, but also a space that felt right when it was just the family of four.
We achieved this through a custom 76-inch round table that can be extended with two leaves. Most of the time, these leaves are concealed in the oiled oak millwork, which also conceal cocktail and coffee bars. The paneling’s honeyed tones continue in the vintage Brutalist credenza. Acquired in Belgium, its shapes echo the couple’s artwork.
As part of the duplex’s new layout, we increased the area of the kitchen, which allowed us to carve out a snug, big enough for a custom sofa, a re-issued Jeanneret chair, a ceramic-and-oak table by Dumais Made, a television, and a few people, big and small.
Oak is used in various forms throughout the apartment, both to bring warmth and create cohesion. This includes the white-oiled oak floors and oiled oak panelling. Here, in the breakfast nook, the panelling is built out under the windows to conceal the HVAC system as well as provide the duplex with much-needed storage, a trick that has been employed in each room.
The kitchen is a custom design. Rendered entirely in oiled oak, it is intended to be a calm, inviting environment for cooking. So, rather than layer additional tones and textures, the remaining details—recessed pulls, stainless steel appliances, and a honed quartzite countertop—were kept as understated as possible.
The main bedroom isn’t massive. To create space, we wall-mounted as much as possible, including the custom dark-oak-and-leather headboard, the [material] under window storage, and two wardrobes, one in [material] and the other in dark oak and Venetian stucco wallpaper. These hard, angular surfaces are balanced by the texture and shape of other pieces, such as the undulating xxx chair by Pierre Paulin in xxx and the ’70s-inspired patterned wool weave that adorns the bed frame.
