The location is one of the highlights of this Upper West Side apartment. “It is an iconic neighborhood full of families, restaurants, activities and not far from the river or Central Park,” says interior designer Isabella Patrick. “The neighborhood itself is so accessible and, to me, has a classic NYC vibe: Zabar’s, Nice Matin, Harry’s Shoes—it’s all right there!”
Isabella’s clients are a young family of four, and they wanted their home to be a warm, inviting, cohesive, comfortable and kid-and-dog-friendly space. Of course, as renters, it was important that the furniture and decor would easily move with them in the future. “Our scope of work was to come up with creative solutions to personalize the home without doing any construction because it’s a rental,” Isabella explains. “Our scope was also to source about 95% of everything from furnishings to lighting to decor, plus window treatments, and to coordinate the logistics from start to completion.”
One of the top wish-list items was a fireplace in the living room. “We installed our very first electric, plug-in, stand-alone fireplace and it has been a huge success, and is the focal point of the great room,” the designer explains. Another crucial element was to incorporate the family’s existing artwork collection, and to incorporate their love for NYC, the beach, and Ireland in clear but practical ways. From the gallery wall in the living room to special pieces in the bedrooms, their personal style is at the forefront of the design.
It was a relatively quick project for the designer. “Our clients got short notice from their landlord and had to vacate their Brooklyn apartment within about 12 weeks from when we started working together,” she recalls. “Because of this we focused on short lead time items, which also fit the brief of designing for a rental.” The clients couldn’t be happier. “As we completed the phases of installation, they felt more and more at home. They were especially thrilled with the window treatments, which were a big investment for rental property, but it was 100% evident once those were installed that they HAD to be there.”
Take a tour in the slideshow.
