As a pied-a-terre for a couple with a notable contemporary art collection, a comprehensive reimagining was required to transform the dated, inward-looking interior into a modern, art-focused classic. We gutted the interiors of the apartment in the undistinguished 1980s building and created a spirited ambiance through layering, focus, harmony, camouflage, scale, and visual seduction.

Distinctive new millwork created crisp framing lines and suddenly allowed the millwork to advance as the charcoal window frames recede, amplifying the views. Building mechanical systems were hidden behind pairs of corner pilasters and irregular soffits were absorbed into thoughtful architectural elements. New acquisitions knit together the disparate threads of the existing art collection. An assemblage of rare minerals enhances the luxurious, luminous palette that shimmers both day and night. Walnut, black mirror, gold leaf, patinated brass, polished steel, and extruded polycarbonate work together in unexpected ways. These materials complement novel custom silk textiles by Nadia-Anne Ricketts of BeatWoven London in which computer-generated “beats” of music are translated into abstract geometric textile patterns; here, Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. This romantic and evocative home now expresses a subtly classical environment befitting a magnificent collection for a busy art loving couple.