Old World Charm in Union Square, New York
This beautiful pre-war home is part of a brownstone in the Union Square area of Manhattan, with a wood burning fireplace and higher ceilings. The space is home to a young and beautiful couple who unlike their age have older taste. They love a dim moody space, sitting by the fire, collecting art and spoiling their pup rotten. When I found this home, it lacked personality, color, flow and charm. Come with me to see the transformation of this home drenched in color, charachter and some Parisian flair. Photography by Daniel Wang.
The living room in this brownstone is drenched in a pale blue paint color, curated for the light this room gets. When applied on the newly designed mouldings for this home, the paint color adds character and defines the vibe of this home. I added details like the sconces and chandelier and trim work all centered around the homeowner's’ existing art. This space feels very unique to them celebrating their eclectic art collection and the combined sense of modern and traditional things that they like.
The living room looks into the dining room through a special small hallway that has a powder room tucked in. The view from the living room window looking at the darker dining room and the feature custom bar with an antique mirrored backsplash is a moment we all love. Another favourite moment is my clients’ wedding photo. We incorporated a wedding photo early on into the design, only it turned out to be this cool one from their wedding in Europe. The newly made switch plates and new vintage sconce make this juxtaposition special. The view of the dining room from here feels refreshing and inviting.
The dining room welcomes you into the home. Like always, we started with laying this room out first and making sense of what goes where. We added a bar because the clients are connoisseurs and love collecting barware and fancy liquors. With the bar taken care of, we centered the dining table and added these beautiful lounge chairs for a good book and drink moment. The moulding design and color drenched walls and ceiling make this dark room, intentional and the hub of the home.
Detailed shot of this lounge chair moment with a treasured art collection, almost makes this part of the home feel like a museum. The green velvet from chairs contrasts the dark blues of the walls while still maintaining an older gentelmen’s lounge vibe.
We design this bar with some more traditional cabinet design and detailing on the countertop. The aged mirror backsplash adds a sparkle to the bar. The adjacent french doors leading to the bedroom add a soft glow to the room. The Bar is stocked, who’s coming?
The Peloton was moved from the dining room to the home office. Now they work out near a window and on a sunny moment the bike sits pretty playing beautifully with the shadows. The moulding design continues through the house and each rooms has its own color story. The vintage art creates a tension or rather harmony between modern and traditional.