Park Ave. Revival

 

the esd journal

Park Ave. Revival

RETURNING TO WORK WITH CLIENTS AGAIN, IN A WHOLE NEW SPACE, IS SOMETHING I WILL NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED—ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY GIVE YOU 90 DAYS AND CREATIVE FREEDOM. WORKING WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I ALREADY HAD OF THEIR TASTE, STYLE, AND LIFESTYLE NEEDS, I WAS MORE THAN READY TO GET TO WORK ON THEIR PARK AVE. HOME. THIS REVIVAL, BECAUSE WE WERE DEALING WITH AN OLD, STATELY HOME, WAS DEEPLY DRIVEN BY THE CLIENT’S LOVE FOR COLOR AND THE SINCERE WISH TO KEEP THIS FAMILY HOME APPROACHABLE TO THE WHOLE FAMILY.

the perfect balance

Together, with the architectural team at Barlis Wedlick, I worked on every room and floor of this gorgeous, neo-Gothic apartment. Designing this home, like designing many of New York’s iconic buildings, meant finding the perfect balance between the architecture and the modern look and feel that the owners wanted. Neither was going to be sacrificed for the other. So we set to work.

PC: JOSHUA MCHUGH

PALETTE

THE COLOR PALETTE FOR THIS PROJECT TOUCHED ON NEARLY EVERY INCH OF THE COLOR AND PATTERN SPECTRUM—FROM BOLD, VIVACIOUS BLUES, TO RICH EGGPLANT PURPLES, GOLDS, BURNT UMBERS, DELICATE YELLOWS, SOFT TEALS, TURQUOISE, FLORALS, AND STRIPES. 

FROM FLOOR TO CEILING THIS HOME WAS PAINTED OR WALLPAPERED IN GORGEOUS JEWEL-TONES AND PASTEL HUES THAT MAKE EACH ROOM ITS OWN LITTLE ADVENTURE.

 
 

SOFAS

IN TOTAL, THERE ARE SEVEN SOFAS IN THIS PARK AVE. HOME. AND EACH HAS A DISTINCT PERSONALITY THAT HELPS SHAPE THE ENTIRE ROOM.

DETERMINED TO EMBRACE COLOR, AS WELL AS SOME WHIMSY, EACH SOFA WAS CHOSEN FOR NOT JUST ITS COLOR OR UPHOLSTERY, BUT FOR ITS SHAPE, DETAILS, AND THE WAY IT WOULD DEFINE THE USE OF THAT SPACE. 

 
 

FOR EXAMPLE, THE FAMILY ROOM’S DISTINCTIVE SECTIONAL IS A LARGE PIECE IN A RICH PURPLE WITH DEEP, OVERSTUFFED CUSHIONS. THIS IS A RELAXING ROOM, A RECREATIONAL SPACE FOR THE KIDS, AND A PRIMARY HUB OF THE HOME. THE SOFA HERE IS THE FOCUS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE AMAZING STRIPED COFFEE TABLES). 

HOWEVER, THE LIBRARY AND LOWER LEVEL COMMON SPACE NEEDED MORE OF A COMPLIMENTARY PIECE THAT WOULD HELP BRING WARMTH TO THE ROOM, AND MAYBE SERVE AS SEATING, BUT OVERALL BE AN ADDITION INSTEAD OF THE MAIN FOCUS. EACH IS MORE SUBDUED, AND BLENDS IN A LITTLE MORE.

AND THEN THERE’S THE FOYER SOFA. THAT WONDERFUL, SHAPELY, CURVING, LARGE SOFA WITH DEEP CUSHIONS THAT SEEMS TO WELCOME YOU AND INTRODUCE YOU TO THE REST OF THE HOUSE.

GOLD

ELEGANT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF OLD HOLLYWOOD GLAMOR, GOLD IS A COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT. FROM SIDE TABLES TO LIGHTS TO DECOR, GOLD IS AROUND EVERY CORNER. FEATURED IN THE FOUR-POSTER BED FRAME OF THE MASTER SUITE, AS WELL AS THE PENDANT IN THE MASTER BATHROOM, THE CHANDELIER AND EVEN THE CEILING IN THE DINING ROOM, AND DOTTED THROUGHOUT AS AN ACCENT IN THE PILLOWS, SCONCES, HARDWARE, AND MORE.

 
 

GOLD SERVED AS OUR WAY OF BREAKING UP THE OTHER BOLD COLORS AND ADDING A COHESIVE ELEMENT THAT COULD BE SPOTTED IN EVERY ROOM.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM THIS PROJECT WAS ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE, BUT THANKS TO THE DECISIVE NATURE OF THE OWNERS, THE CREATIVE FREEDOM GIVEN TO ME AND THE REST OF THE TEAM, AND THE HARD WORK OF EVERYONE INVOLVED, THIS BELOVED BUILDING ON PARK AVE. FOUND ITS REVIVAL.

INTERIOR DESIGNER: ELAINE SANTOS

ARCHITECTS: BARLIS WEDLICK

GENERAL CONTRACTORS: MICHAEL GEROSA AND VICTOR PAREDES

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOSHUA MCHUGH

 

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InspirationElaine Santos