Inside An Upper West Side Condo With An Abundance Of Soul
A coffee table from Peter Lane grounds the living area. In a niche covered with Phillip Jeffries linen, a sofa in a Holland & Sherry textile sits beneath a photograph by Robert Polidori. Underfoot is a Merida rug.
At first blush, a condo in a converted commercial building on the Upper West Side seemed an unlikely choice for its eventual owners. “It didn’t meet many of our criteria,” the wife says. “Nothing had been done to it since 2004, and the layout didn’t make sense, but it was in a good location and had a lot of space.” Once he visited, designer David Scott had a similar impression but was nonetheless inspired. “I saw something ordinary and wanted to transform it,” he recalls.
The clients had a few key requests for their new place. Chief among them, describes the husband, “We wanted a sense of comfort and calm, so when you come in, you breathe a sigh of relief.” A functional kitchen with ample storage and a flexible layout that could feel as comfortable for two as for 12 was also essential.
Home Details
Architecture:
Joe Jang, Arkpraxis
Interior Design:
David Scott, David Scott Interiors
Home Builder:
Vincent Collins, Martany Corp
Scott’s solution was to give the space a loft-like feel while maintaining a sense of warmth and ease, carefully refining every detail, including replacing the floors and windows, in the process. In collaboration with architect Joe Jang and general contractor Vincent Collins, Scott took the space down from three bedrooms to two, so that one bedroom became a new living room and the former living room became a sophisticated dining area. Open to each other, they are crowned by a barrel-vaulted ceiling that repeats in the primary bedroom. Although the kitchen needed to remain in the same spot, the designer worked magic there too, opting for bright white lacquered upper cabinets and stone with streaks of gray for the backsplash and countertops. The move adds “freshness and depth,” says Scott, and contrasts with the rich walnut casework.
Walnut also stars in one of the most inventive elements in the apartment: a floating partition that separates the kitchen and the living room and serves multiple functions. On the kitchen side, the structure offers an elegantly concealed pantry and refrigeration. On the other, a moveable panel hides the TV. Subtle brass butterfly joints punctuate the piece, as does a streamlined brass sconce, keeping it from feeling monolithic.
Thomas Hayes Studio counter chairs pull up to the kitchen’s walnut island fabricated by New Day Woodwork, Inc. and topped with quartzite from Fame Luxury Stone. Overhead are pendants by Kalin Asenov. The range is Wolf.
Once he had fleshed out the details and floor plan, Scott set out to imbue the home with “texture, warmth and soul,” he explains. Naturally, that meant commissioning bespoke items. One, a buffet by Caleb Woodard in the living room, features a carved pattern of undulating waves. The other is a ceramic coffee table by Peter Lane composed of stacked cylinders. (“No one does texture like Peter,” the designer notes.) Scott proposed an extendable dining table and paired it with a banquette upholstered on-site. Together, they yield a nontraditional, flexible take on the formal dining room.
For additional richness, Scott chose a linen wallcovering for the living and dining areas. Velvets, bouclés and leather abound, which “are luxe but welcoming,” he says. Saffron and marigold hues—found on a pair of midcentury armchairs and ottoman in the living room and a swing-arm lamp illuminating the dining table—respond to the wood tones and enliven them. The exception to the warmer palette occurs in the primary bedroom, where shades of blue take the stage. Scott subtly prepares the eyes for the shift, opting for gauzy draperies along with a vintage George Nakashima desk and wood bench that tie back to the casework and same linen curtains used in the public rooms. “I like a thread from the moment you enter to the very last detail,” he describes.
Throughout, Scott incorporated the clients’ photography collection, which includes works by William Wegman, Robert Polidori and Hendrik Kerstens. “It was an interactive process,” the husband recalls. “We talked about what we had and what we wanted to use. David would put the pieces into renderings to see how they would work in the apartment,” the wife adds.
While the raw space might not have checked many of the clients’ initial boxes, the finished product certainly does. “It all works,” the husband notes. “No matter where you sit, you see something different. It’s the magic of what David was able to accomplish.” And it proves that when the designer says, “Don’t limit yourself to what you see when you first walk in, dream big,” the result can be nothing short of spectacular.
Designer David Scott furnished the dining area of this Manhattan condo with a Thomas Newman Studio table, a custom banquette in a Link outdoor fabric and chairs in a material from Lee Jofa. A Joseph Pagano pendant illuminates the space.
The walnut bench from 1stdibs in a Larsen fabric, George Nakashima desk from Lost City Arts and carpet from Doris Leslie Blau anchor the primary bedroom. Above the John Rosselli-upholstered Dmitriy & Co bed, William Wegman photographs add visual interest.