Fifth Avenue Pied-À-Terre

This minimalist one-bedroom apartment is a pied-à-terre for a couple who split their time between New York and Florida. Prior to the renovation, the apartment was dark, despite four west-facing windows along Central Park, so a primary goal was to make the space feel lighter and brighter. Conceptually, millwork volumes - rather than conventional partitions - read as floating objects while delineating the different spaces. This helps stretch the perception of space to the apartment’s perimeter walls. The living and bedroom spaces flow into one another, and when privacy is needed, hidden pocket doors recessed in the pantry volume can be closed.

The owners did not need a full kitchen, as they typically eat out when they are in the city. Smaller appliances are used to keep the kitchen compact. The dining banquette below two windows offers a great view down Fifth Avenue along Central Park. To maximize space in the small living space, the banquette wraps around to become a built-in sofa. From the chaise at the end, one can look out of all four windows in the apartment simultaneously, providing amazing views of the tree canopy in Central Park.

To enhance a sense of openness, it was important to the owners to maximize the ceiling heights in the living spaces, which did not leave room for recessed lighting. So, creative lighting solutions were employed, such as strategically placed linear light coves, and linear LEDs incorporated into the millwork. Along the long art wall above the sofa, the ceiling also ‘peels’ down to reveal another linear light to highlight art.

To make the entry - previously the darkest space in the apartment - feel brighter, white gloss millwork panels line one side, which also ‘hide’ two doors to storage closets. Mirrors are employed in clever ways to bounce light. White glass is used for the kitchen backsplash, and ultrathin glossy white Dekton is used for the countertops, millwork sleeves, and window sills. Not wanting an all-white apartment, the owners wanted to incorporate some color into the architecture. Champagne-colored metallic millwork at the floating volumes not only reflects light but is dynamic, subtly changing tone and color with the daylight. Details were designed to allow for no applied hardware pulls or exposed door hardware anywhere in the apartment to preserve the reading and rhythm of millwork panels and maintain a minimalist aesthetic. Though minimalist in their belongings, the owners brought some bolder colors into the furnishings with souvenirs collected from their travels around the world – rugs from Africa, artwork from Iran, and unique ceramics and pottery.