LUXURY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

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Luminous Penthouse

This unique apartment occupies an entire floor near the top of an art deco skyscraper, but the original layout was awkward and the finishes were ordinary. The before photo below shows a composite of pre-construction photographs taken from the same vantage point. (Note that original kitchen was on right side of photograph)

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Before

All the original ceilings, walls, fixtures, and finishes were removed to make way for a totally new interior that would be worthy of the stunning views. The kitchen was relocated to the center of the apartment, creating a large living-dining room. One bathroom was added while the other was substantially enlarged. All the windows were replaced, and central air conditioning was woven into the design throughout.

A modern, minimalist aesthetic drove the design and material choices. Off-white walls and epoxy resin floors create a visually "quiet" perimeter that contrasts with the material-rich elements at the core of the apartment. Zebrawood, anigre, and rosewood built-in cabinetry anchor the functional elements of the apartment, while stainless steel, translucent Corian®, and etched glass elements introduce a luminous, ethereal quality at any time of day.

Form and Function

As the central space in the apartment, this elegant kitchen had to maintain the visual simplicity of the design without sacrificing function. This family is passionate about cooking and entertaining, so providing a place for everything was essential to keep countertop clutter under control.

The space needed for every task, the storage needed for every item, and their relationship to one another were carefully considered and coordinated into the design. Mouse over the photograph to view the entertainment and appliance niche that is concealed behind fully retractable doors.

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Glowing Kitchen

Custom lighting solutions were developed to support the functional needs of the kitchen while generating unique, romantic effects. The islands were essential for the practical layout of the kitchen, but we did not want them to detract from the clarity of the tall, central zebrawood element. Instead, they were conceived as glowing, floating opposites to the dark, well-anchored wall of cabinetry. Dimmable fluorescent backlighting provides an other-worldly glow to the translucent Corian® cabinet fronts. This effect seems to dissolve the visual solidity of these elements, while the high stainless steel legs help them seem to float.

The niche in the cabinet wall is lined with shimmering stainless steel tiles and a stainless steel countertop that seamlessly incorporates a pair of kitchen sinks. This niche is spanned by a glass and stainless steel "bridge" cabinet that is fabricated from stainless steel structural angles. The etched glass fronts of this bridge cabinet create a visual connection to the etched glass doors used throughout the apartment while reinforcing the mysterious, ethereal quality of the glowing elements in this kitchen.

Dining Room - Foyer - Kitchen

This photograph places the kitchen in context next to the foyer and dining area. The dining area features a splendid cubistic painting by mid-century artist Shirley Jessen, while the foyer is dominated by the views and the built-in bookshelves that frame the elevator doors.

The kitchen cabinet wall visible here houses several built-in appliances including two refrigerators as well as a broad extra countertop, appliance garage, and shelves that are discretely hidden behind retractable doors. These doors can be opened for extra utility or closed to reinstate the serene appearance of this smooth wall of anigre cabinetry.

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Foyer and Balcony

Stepping directly into an apartment from the elevators always makes for a dramatic entrance. Here, the immediate view of lower Manhattan and New York Harbor amplifies this drama. The balcony, just visible through the sliding terrace doors, provides breathtaking views of a dozen bridges, the Manhattan skyline, and the Statue of Liberty.

The steel elevator doors were stripped and clear coated, and etched glass lenses integrate the elevator hall lanterns into the wall of anigre shelves.

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Foyer and Guest Bathroom

This photograph features the side of the foyer opposite the elevator doors. Here, the guest bathroom and a small home office can be found behind full-height etched glass doors. The full-height anigre doors belong to the coat closet, a radiator cabinet, and other built-in cabinetry.

Guest Bathroom

The guest bathroom is a restful composition in white materials with a single accent wall. The walls are faced with glossy, white ceramic tile, and the cabinetry and shower are built with a matching white Corian®. The accent wall features a cubistic pattern in white and green marble mosaic. This accent wall and the projected shelf below are washed with light from a hidden source in the wall cabinet above. A pair of custom towel bars fabricated from stainless steel bars hangs below this shelf. The mirror on the opposite wall is also framed by recessed lighting concealed behind etched glass shades.

Kitchen - Dining Room

The luminous perimeter is the focus of this view from the kitchen looking south; the central window frames the open view across the urban landscape to the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. All the windows have motorized shades concealed in pockets above the window heads to control glare and solar gain during bright days.

This set of "before-and-after" demonstrates the degree to which the space was entirely transformed by this renovation. Note also the slenderness of the new window frames in contrast to the former windows.

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Flexible Space and Etched Glass Doors

This doorway in the zebrawood cabinet wall leads to the primary bedroom. The space to the left is shared by the second bedroom and a TV room. Large, etched glass doors were used throughout the interior to provide flexible subdivision of spaces without sacrificing the open, loft "feel" of the apartment.

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Primary Bathroom

This luxurious primary bathroom is a modernist composition in honey onyx, Corian®, and anigre. The rich palette of materials and quiet, minimal detailing combine to create a stunning yet restful visual experience.

The stone slab wall seen here is all at once massive and ethereal. The rich veining in the onyx is brought to life by dimmable fluorescent backlighting that can provide warm, brilliant illumination in the morning or a soft, romantic glow in the evening. The Corian® cabinetry and shower stall match the cast resin soaking tub, and the anigre cabinetry provides an organic accent in the same hue as the honey onyx.

In this after photograph, the cast resin tub can be seen in the foreground opposite the cantilevered vanity cabinet. This anigre and Corian® vanity seems to float due to the linear lighting built into the bottom. Above the vanity is a full-width mirror of low-iron glass that is framed on all four sides by recessed linear fixtures with etched glass shades. This large, one-piece recessed mirror required that a reinforced wall be engineered to guaranty that no deflection would occur to crack the mirror. The washer and dryer reside in the tall anigre corner cabinet next to the toilet, and a large linen closet is adjacent to the laundry.

After

In this photograph, the cantilevered vanity cabinet of anigre and Corian® can be seen in relation to the new windows and the breathtaking view. The cabinetry at the window wall is also fabricated of Corian® and the anodized aluminum window sills and radiator grilles match the finish on the new windows.

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BEFORE

DEMOLITION

Details: Custom Hardware at Etched Glass Doors

In such a precise work of architecture, the relationships between all the parts must be carefully considered. The full-height, etched glass doors are among the most eye-catching elements of the project, and owners and visitors interact with these doors more than any other component of the design. As such, this "intersection" between the user and the architecture is a moment worthy of special treatment.

Every etched glass door in the apartment has a version of this custom door pull and strike. The shape and finish of this unique design relate to the stock hardware used in the wooden doors throughout the apartment but were adapted for the massive glass pivot and pocket doors. The design shown here moves the door pull past the edge of the glass door so that the door can be pulled from a pocket. The custom receiving pocket at the strike side of the opening was also designed to be compatible with the stock hardware used elsewhere. Note that the pull design allows the door to be easily retracted even when nestled in the receiving pocket.

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Look at Our Elegant Brooklyn Duplex

If you enjoyed viewing our Luminous Penthouse project, check out our Brooklyn Duplex that also features a minimal but material-rich aesthetic. The highlight of this project is the unique cantilevered stair — let us design one for you.