This Tennessee couple's 2,400 sq. ft. pied-a-terre in NYC's Madison Square Park is anything but southern. The retired art and design enthusiast couple often visit New York City for its culinary experiences, cultural scene and sporting events. It is their home away from home so it made sense they chose to work with NYC based designer Ahmad AbouZanat of PROJECT AZ who had also designed their part of their main residence in Brentwood TN as well as their first NYC condo.
Because the couple didn't love bold colors, Ahmad's goal was to make the home feel cozy through a mix of materials and textures. Through cosmetic upgrades and a full furnishing, the result is a chic yet practical home with its own presence that complements the 360-degree skyline views.
How is the project unique?
One of Ahmad's favorite design moments in this space is seeing the dining table and chairs centered with the window when you walk in. Above the table is a thin steel structure that would make anyone curious as to what it is. It is the side profile of a minimalist and architectural semi-circle shaped light fixture hung from the ceiling by thin wire frames that feed power to the LED lights. One has to walk around to explore the fixture like a piece of artwork. With that in mind, the client also had curated a great art collection and Ahmad made sure to reserve wall space for their artwork that included everything from the American figurative artist Alex Katz to paintings by Paul Balmer among others.
They also wanted to acquire new pieces so they worked with Ahmad to source a signed piece by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. The furniture Ahmad sourced from international brands such as Molteni, Poltrona Frau and Roche Bobois alongside local designer items such as Holly Hunt, Apparatus Studio, Bower Studios and AlexAllen Studio. All together, Ahmad's minimal introduction of color balances out the shades of whites and grey in the space.
The desk nook on the second floor is another great design moment in this home. Since it is a duplex, the building provided coat closets on both floors but Ahmad decided to take the door out and create a fun colored nook that functions as a desk station -- a space for his client to put his laptop and check his emails. The desk itself has a lift up top where you can store devices and cables inside. Across from the workstation is a balcony space that overlooks the first floor. Ahmad turned this into a music area with a modular speaker system on the wall that acts as art itself and an oversized round lounge sofa. The sofa sits on a rotating base that can turn to face the windows where one can overlook the beautiful east side of the city while listening to music or having a drink.
Team:
Interior Architect: PROJECT AZ
Photographer: Nick Glimenakis
