When it comes to searching for a home, there are a lot of factors that will sway a decision. Location is everything of course…or is square-footage more important? This Greenwich Village apartment proves that with the right team, you can have it all.
“Our client is a senior executive at a large private equity firm,” Brad Sherman of Float Studio says. “He’s also a close personal friend of the principals of our design studio.” As a creature of habit, the client sought to stay in his neighborhood—but required a larger footprint that would allow him to entertain with ease. “It’s uncommon among the standard loft layouts of the Greenwich Village,” Brad explains. “Looking to balance convenience and scale with local character for a space that feels like an escape from the city, the homeowner turned to our team, known for creating authentically tailored spaces reminiscent of each client’s individual spirit, for guidance.”
Float Studio’s first step was to combine two apartments into one, upping the square footage to 1,500. “The first challenge was conceptualizing a new floor plan after the amalgamation of units left behind a displaced kitchen and bathroom and a desperate need for storage,” Brad recalls. “To achieve open sightlines throughout and create a grandeur sense of space, the apartment was taken down to the studs and completely rearranged. The kitchen and bathroom were relocated, and a second bedroom (or den) was integrated into the plans. To take advantage of the home’s southerly orientation, transom windows were built in the guest bedroom, allowing sunlight to flow into the hallway. Utility, linen, and coat closets were also added along with a walk-in pantry to hide away countertop appliances for a clean finish.”
Construction took about a year—an impressive feat in the face of limitations and delays typically encountered when doing construction in a New York City co-op. For the interiors, the color-palette remains light and is infused with warmth courtesy of custom millwork and vintage decorative elements that honor the soul of the building. “In addition to custom casing and cabinetry, wood paneling covers the closet, floor-to-ceiling, and the den’s walls,” Brad shares. “Textural interest, brick, fabrics, and lime-washed walls, are complemented by vintage accents – including the 1960s coffee table with cylindrical supports and ‘Bikini’ Table Lamps by Barbieri Marianelli for Tronconi – to imbue the renovation with a sense of history.”
Brad and his design partner, Nina Etnier, make a great team for these types of projects, even though they often specialize in commercial spaces. “A product designer by nature, my process is deeply rooted in the details of a space: how it resonates with users at every touchpoint and the oft-forgotten particulars that shape its soul,” he explains. “At the same time, Nina’s sensitivity to the built environment and how it can be uniquely shaped to create elevated experiences was critical to our approach on this project. Together, we have grown Float Studio into a firm with a reputation for designing custom products for clients, adding to our projects a layer of individuality and character with an emphasis on intention and materiality.”
The result of their keen attention to detail and solution-driven design ensures happy homeowners. “The client says his newly designed space truly feels like home – an escape from the everyday, a place that meets all his needs, and where he can host friends and family,” Brad shares. “We carefully selected furnishings and accessories that look and feel high-end without the delicacy, so he has a space to live and entertain in comfort and without worry.”
Take a tour of the home + snag design details in the slideshow.
CREDITS:
Custom furniture designed by Float Studio: side table in the living room (oiled teak), dining table (solid oak), dining banquette, console table in entry (blackened oak), bed in the master bedroom, side tables in the master bedroom.
Limewash: Portola Paints
Lighting:
- No. 8 – dim to warm LED lighting throughout
- Kitchen Pendants: Allied Maker
- Horizontal Tekio Pendant above Dining Table: Santa and Cole
Artworks by: Sonia Delaunay, Erwin Olaf, and the client’s sister
Rugs: Armadillo, Soufiane Zarib
Sectional: Montauk Sofa
Coffee Table: vintage, sourced from John Salibello
Plumbing Fixtures: custom pewter finish from Jaclo
